Pinky's Baby
by skimmingsurfaces
Summary: Co-written with StarShineDC. When used for a scientific experiment, Pinky's body undergoes some changes that will not only affect his life, but Brain's as well. Putting world domination on hold, The Brain must discover what is taking place within his cagemate, learning to accept his feelings for the other mouse in the process. WARNING: MPREG. Don't like, don't read. Eventual P/B.
1. Chapter 1

They were very rarely separated from one another, and certainly never for an entire day. Pinky had been gone for three. Brain didn't know what to do about it, didn't know what to do with himself. Three days and now they were on to the third night. But this night, Brain was determined to locate his sidekick and bring him home. They had a world to take over! These scientists couldn't possibly need Pinky for more than an hour, at most.

The megalomaniac refused to believe that the irritation he felt had long since become worry. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Pinky was just fine! He had to be just fine. Brain was trembling as he unlocked the cage, using nothing more intricate than his crooked tail, and he scrambled across the counter in the direction they'd taken his friend. He wasn't even in behavioral testing any longer, but experimental. It was where they grew human ears on their backs or blinded them on purpose or- or any number of things that Brain didn't want to consider.

He ran through the doors that separated the area and gave a small shudder as he did each time he needed to venture into this half of the lab. Even the air felt different here, heavier and far more depressing. But he climbed onto a counter and looked around, seeking the familiar being, ears perked and alert for the familiar tic. Even if Pinky was snoring as he sometimes did, the mouse would be easy to discover.

But there were no tics, no familiar blue eyes in any of the cages he peeked into as he made his way along the creatures that were awake and alert looked back at him with eyes that made the megalomaniac shiver no matter what the emotion in them. The worst of them was hope, but he couldn't release any of them. A mass breakout would result in the lab closing and Brain just couldn't allow that to happen. Scientific discoveries were happening here and he couldn't halt that. Yet. He comforted himself with the reminder that he would be ruling the world and things would be different.

For now, though, he needed to move on and locate his companion. He would never take over if Pinky wasn't around to assist him. He shivered, not wanting to think about that. Of course Pinky would be around. This was temporary placement, just until he found him and dragged his friend back to their cage.

So the megalomaniac kept going until he finally heard the little snored narfs of his best friend. Eyes wide, Brain sprinted towards the noise and pressed himself against, to his surprise, glass. He peered in at Pinky, ears falling as he took in the sight of him. His belly was shaved, the black stitches clear against that pink skin.

Brain was wary of going inside the chamber, though every inch of him wanted to go in, needed to make sure that his sidekick was alright. But he seemed to be sleeping comfortably and there was a steady pulse sounding from a nearby machine. The fact that the scientists were actually monitoring his vitals made him shiver, but he climbed up to the top of Pinky's glass cage and went straight to a clipboard that rested on the top.

Unable to read most of the scribbles due to the atrociousness of the handwriting, Brain was scowling as he studied page after page of notes. What was most important, of course, was his friend's well-being. And it seemed that he was fine. Came through the surgery fine, though what they'd done to him was still largely a mystery. Brain was sure that once he was returned, for his return was imminent according to this page. Well, either imminent or iudeuiy. And iudeuiy wasn't a word in any English dictionary.

Alright. Alright, then. Pinky would be fine and back in the cage the following day. Brain nodded to himself, making a mental list of things to gather in the night to make sure Pinky was comfortable. Those stitches would still be sore and his very active cagemate would need to keep still, which meant lots of distractions would be required. He'd need crayons and music and little books for Brain to read to him.

Brain sighed, rubbing his brow. World domination would have to be halted for another few days while he recuperated from whatever this was, and then Brain would need to do an x-ray to make sure nothing had been implanted within him that would be detrimental to future plans. Why, if he'd gotten a tracking device put in his body, it would have to come out. Or Brain would have to find a way to disrupt the frequency it was on entirely.

Or take it over. That way, Brain would always know where Pinky was when he was gone at the store a worryingly long time. Hm. A tracking device would actually come in handy.

But there were other possibilities, of course, each one more worrying than the last. Brain just hoped it wasn't something he would have to remove. Putting his friend through more harrowing surgery and anesthesia wasn't a pleasant prospect. Sighing quietly, he rested his palm on the glass and gazed down at his sleeping friend, watching his foot kick a bit as he dreamed.

It was only for a moment, however. He had things to gather. So The Brain got to his feet and climbed back down, heading back to his half of the cage with his head bowed so he wouldn't have to see any of the other lab experiments.

* * *

So, StarShineDC and I blame Tom Ruegger's blog for this idea xD He posted an article about how scientists have discovered how to create baby mice using the DNA of two male mice. And he poked fun at Pinky and the Brain, of course. So, as you can now feel safe to assume, this fic will contain mpreg by the hands of science. Both of us don't usually go this route with fics, but we couldn't get the idea out of our heads and hey, it is by science lol. There is logic behind it! But, just as a warning, since mpreg does have the tendency to squick people out.

For those of you who don't mind it, however, we hope you enjoy it!


	2. Chapter 2

As the lab was closing down the following day, Brain was on pins and needles awaiting Pinky's return. He'd expected him before this, and his mind couldn't help but entertain the worst. Had something gone wrong between his visit and the morning? Had his friend succumbed to a force stronger than life? Staring at a mahjong tile, Brain forced the thoughts away and instead chose to ponder why his cagemate would deign a single tile worth keeping. And what he could've possibly done with the rest of the game.

He scrambled to the cage door when he heard it squeak open, though, the tile dropped rather unceremoniously in the face of this important return. Pink eyes narrowed in irritation soon enough when the scientist held him back, the only thing keeping him from biting being his superior intellect... and the mild fear that he wouldn't leave Pinky behind if he thought Brain was going to act violently. The feeble-minded human just didn't understand and, Brain suspected, didn't care about the worry he'd been put through these past days.

When Pinky was settled on the little sponge-bed they shared, Brain waited impatiently until the human turned his back before going up to his companion. He checked for a fever first, resting a hand on his brow, fingers seeking out his pulse. The steady rise and fall of his chest quelled some of the fear, but it was still worrying that he was still asleep. And the stitches...

Brain examined them closely, resisting the urge to touch. They weren't wire as he'd previously assumed, seeing the dark strips from a distance. They looked as though they would dissolve soon and allow his fur to grow back and hide any scarring. It was still rather unpleasant to think that Pinky would have scarring from something Brain didn't even have a full grasp of yet. "Hm. Annoying," he grumbled and looked up when Pinky's tail twitched. He stilled entirely when he realized blue eyes were on him. Bleary, but awake. So many other fears were dashed, ones Brain hadn't even been aware of, that his knees went a little weak. "Pinky..."

The taller mouse blinked sluggishly, then yawned out a squeaky 'narf' before smiling sleepily at his cagemate. "Hi, Brain. Did you find the magical mushroom staircase to tubaville too?"

"No." The smaller mouse made his way back to the head of the bed, resting his hand on Pinky's brow again. "And you're not in tubaville. You're back in the cage with me." Safe and sound. Or as safe as possible with the humans running amok, separating them whenever they liked. He had a world to conquer and he needed this mouse's help to do it.

Pinky nuzzled against his palm, then slowly took in his surroundings, his eyes getting clearer and more alert. "The cage? _Narf._ Oh, the cage! Brain!" His gaze darted back to the megalomaniac, his smile bright. "Oh, Brain, I've missed you! It's been ages!" He sat up to hug him tightly, wincing as the stitches pulled. Glancing down, he trailed his finger along the black strips. "Egad... I'm all zipped up like a zipper!"

Brain immediately nudged him back down. "Not a very steady zipper, either." He was immediately brusque. Pinky was alright, but he had the potential to hurt himself should he move too much... Which gave him an easy excuse to leave his hand on his cagemate's chest. "There are enough things in the cage to keep you busy while you recuperate."

"Wuh... what do I need to cooperate for anyway, Brain? I'm not a chicken." Pinky blinked up at him, then glanced down at the hand on his chest. "And what's inside? I want to see! _Zort!_ Maybe I'm filled with candy like a piňa colada!"

"I doubt you have the mental capabilities to be a chicken," Brain grumbled, rolling his eyes. "There will be _no_ discovering what's inside until the stitches heal. Which is going to require you lying in bed for an extended amount of time. Do you understand? You can color and play with certain toys, but you need to stay in bed."

Looking around the bed as if it would help him better understand it, Pinky scratched the top of his head despite laying down. "But what about taking over the world, Brain? It's tomorrow night, isn't it?" He couldn't quite keep track of the time, he'd been sleeping for quite some time and whenever he remembered being awake, he was in a strange fish tank. Only without any fish or water and an annoying, scary beeping sound.

"There will be no taking over the world until you're better." Frowning, Brain lowered his gaze to the strangely pink belly and gave it a very gentle pat. "When your fur grows back, we'll be able to get back to it." And, based on their usual healing time, it wouldn't be very long at all before the stitches were healed. A couple of days and then he would be able to see what, if anything, had been placed within his companion's body. And then the world would be theirs! Until then, The Brain was willing to take care of Pinky.

"Poit. Better?" Pinky frowned slightly, watching Brain's hand before looking him in the eye. Nothing felt wrong or broken or anything... though he did feel a pinchy feeling in his tummy. It was sore, not quite like a usual tummy ache. He gulped and reached out to grab onto Brain's arm. "I'm not sick, right Brain?"

"No, old friend, you're not sick. But you will be if you break open these stitches. If that occurs, it'll take you even longer to heal." And the megalomaniac wasn't entirely certain if he had the capability to take care of Pinky if an infection set in. Not with scientists in their the majority of the day during the week.

Oh, well, getting sick was a very not good thing, so he made sure not to touch the zipper as he settled in bed. It was so funny looking though. And his fur was all gone! His short attention span had him poking the pink flesh. "My tummy's all like my name," he giggled. "Well, except the zipper. _Troz_."

"Yes, it is. Be careful where you poke," he instructed, knowing that it was useless to tell him to stop entirely. He knew he'd have to pay attention to make sure he listened, however, not trusting Pinky's ability to recognize pain well enough to do otherwise. "I rigged up a tray so you can keep busy without having to move overmuch."

"Oh, a tray!" Pinky clapped his hands together, of course moving quickly and wincing when he felt the tugging across his stomach. He gave it a pat, then went as still as he could and looked up at his cagemate. "What are you gonna do while I rest, Brain?"

"I have plenty of things to keep me busy." The megalomaniac went across the cage to grab a crayon and a few pages. The paper was settled on a tray that he wheeled over and propped up in front of his cagemate. "In a little while, we'll see if you can sit up." Brain gave him the crayon, frowning. "If you aren't careful and tear the stitches, I shall have to hurt you."

Pinky examined the crayon, eyes lighting up when he saw it was one of his favorites. He nodded, already starting to scribble on the paper. "'Kay! I won't tear anything, Brain," he assured, admiring his lumpy pink circle. "Can I have royal cerulean and happy yellow too?"

Quickly seeing a potential issue with this, Brain pushed over the entire box. "Here, Pinky. You can have all the colors." He went off to get one of his books, dragging it over to sit near his cagemate and read.

"Thanks, Brain," he hugged his blue crayon and looked over at him. "You're going to sit with me? Poit."

He sighed, looking up. "Yes, Pinky. Just in case you need something. I don't want you getting up." The megalomaniac turned back to his book, waving a hand dismissively. "Now be quiet and color."

"Right, Brain." The taller mouse just smiled at his cagemate for a moment or two, warmed from the inside out by his kindness and care. Oh, Brain was the bestest best best friend anyone could ask for! "Naaaaaaarf," he purred quietly, going back to his drawing, adding an ovular shape next to the lumpy round one.

That wasn't exactly being quiet, but Brain let it go. It was just a relief to have him back in the cage, safe and mostly sound. The stitches bothered him, particularly because he didn't know yet _why_ they were there. Had they removed something? That was a frightening thought. Naturally, it was banished and Brain turned his attentions to his studies... and managed a page and a half before Pinky was fidgeting. "Pinky, what are you doing?"

"My tummy hurts," he complained, he just couldn't find a comfortable position. Not on his back anyway, and Brain told him not to move too much. Plus he couldn't roll over with the tray there. "And I'm bored." He was only halfway through his drawing, but the weird, pinchy feeling was distracting and he just couldn't concentrate. He'd already messed up their hands and their ears. Glancing down his front, he blamed the zipper. It felt like things had been moved around inside, like a jigsaw puzzle with one too many pieces.

Sighing, The Brain got to his feet and perched beside his cagemate, resting both hands on the strangely pink belly. "I know it hurts, Pinky. It probably will for a little while, and you'll just have to get used to it." He began to caress very carefully and methodically. It was strange, though, and not only because he was missing some fur. There was something just... different. "But there's no need to worry. You're going to be fine."

Pinky shivered, the touch feeling very... intimate without his fur as a barrier. But it was very pleasant all the same. He loved tummy rubs and only got them occasionally. Like that time he ate a whole roll of yarn. "I'm not worried," he assured him. "You're here. _Zort._"

More touched than he wanted to admit by the honest faith, Brain lowered his gaze to watch his hands rather than those trusting blue eyes. "Of course I'm here, Pinky. Now then, if you're bored with coloring, what else would you like to do?"

"Umm... poit." He blinked and looked around. Oh, what he really wanted to do was run on his wheel. But that didn't really qualify as resting. Brain wanted him to stay on the bed, so on the bed he'd stay! Until he forgot, of course. "Oh, I know! Can you read to me? I missed hearing your blah blahddy blah words. And the mean ol' beeping sound wasn't very friendly or sociable." It didn't even say 'hi'.

"Beeping sound?" Brain repeated, flicking his gaze back up. "Pinky, that was your heart monitor. Those beeps you heard were just audible reflections of your heartbeat."

"My heartbeat? I don't think so, Brain. My heart goes ba-dum, ba-dum in my wrist when I sleep on it. Not beep beep beep on the wall. And I would like to think that my heart isn't so rude."

Eyes rolling, Brain got off the bed to go to his book and dragged it onto his side of the bed, being careful not to jostle his friend overmuch. "It's the machine that was rude, not your heart. They're designed to make that sound in order to tell when or if your heart begins to act oddly." Like stopping. "It's not supposed to have the same exact noise."

Pinky shifted slightly so he was closer to Brain, happy that he would be reading on the bed with him. "Why would they want to know what my heart's doing when my tummy's the problem? And my heart does funny jumpy things all the time, is that odd?" Because quite honestly he thought it was rather odd when it went all fast and silly whenever Brain did nice things. Or any sort of things really. Like ponderings.

"There are times when your heart will do things it simply isn't supposed to do." Particularly after a surgery of some kind. He reached out and gave Pinky a small pat. "And your heart affects all of you, so something bad happening to it would be detrimental to the rest of you."

"Naaaaarf. Well, then I'd better take very good care of it." Pinky nodded seriously, hugging his red crayon.

"Yes, you'd better." Brain gave the pink of his belly another gentle rub before turning his attention to his book. "This book is on experimental physics, Pinky." Though he knew Pinky had no idea what physics was, no matter how often Brain read the odd chapter from one aloud or how often the subject was incorporated into one of his plans or cage escapes.

"Is that like the people who look into those shiny balls and see the future?" he asked, resting his head against Brain's side as his own hand resumed the careful rubbing of his belly.

The smaller mouse automatically shifted a little closer so he could rest his head more comfortably. "Those are psychics. Physics is the study of matter and its motion through spacetime." He shook his head, giving Pinky's cheek a pat. "Why don't I just tell you one of the stories from one of your little books?" he offered. He knew the silly things by heart, just one of the many things he wished he could remove from his memory normally. But for now he could make an exception.

Pinky shook his head. "That's okay, Brain. I like spacetime. It's just like space mountain, only with more time and less mountain. Poit." Besides, Brain read his big wordy word books differently than he read his little not wordy picture books. Not that he didn't like it when Brain read his favorite books to him, oh he did love that, but right now the sound of his voice mattered most. And space was a very cool thing.

"Alright." Brain looked to his book and began to read, getting about two pages in before his cagemate started to fidget beside him. He only kept reading, stroking his side until he settled again.

It was just so hard to keep still. He was used to running and dancing and twirling and doing yogalates on the TV. But he tried. Being pet helped. That didn't happen much and it was such a lovely feeling. So he focused on that and Brain's voice, all smarty sounding. He'd missed it, even when he'd been sleeping he knew his best friend hadn't been there with him. It had been very lonely, and scary, because they were never kept in separate cages ever.

His eyes closed and he sighed, reaching out to hold onto the smaller mouse. Somehow his energy became sleepy without him even noticing. Pinky snuggled against him with a soft 'narf' and decided naptime couldn't hurt any. Plus it would keep him still for a while.

Brain stayed close even as he fell asleep, though his reading fell silent. He rested a hand on his chest just to feel the steady rise and fall while his friend breathed, trying very hard not to imagine it stilling. They had done something to him inside. He could feel a difference, but he couldn't explain it. With his intellect, the idea of not knowing something was extremely worrying.

But there was nothing he could do about it at the moment, so just let his cagemate sleep and stayed close. One thing he was rather certain of, was that if he died or anything else happened before the megalomaniac could figure this out, those scientists were going to suffer. He gave his friend a small nuzzle since Pinky was asleep and no one was around, and went back to quietly reading.

* * *

Stolened from StarShineDC's dA account (swalka1991):

Neither of us lean towards the whole mpreg genre (it's a major squick for me, normally) but this blog post right from Tom Ruegger got lodged in our minds and didn't/wouldn't leave until we wrote this.

* * *

And I concur! xD I really only like it when it can be properly explained within its universe. But I think we did okay with this. It helps that Pinky's absolutely adorable, and Brain's... well, Brain.


	3. Chapter 3

Lying there was obviously getting to him. Brain's pats didn't settle him and he kept squinting at his drawings as if the squiggles were displeasing him. The jacks and the single mahjong tile had gotten into an epic battle and were now discarded on the floor, and Pinky was left restless and bored. And while Brain would've been just fine with a day of required bedrest, he understood his companion well enough to know that he was suffering after just a day.

His stitches were healing, though, a pleasant sign of their remarkable healing time. So the megalomaniac decided that allowing Pinky to sit up was worth a try. Just so long as they were careful about it. He went over to the bed and moved the tray out of his way, holding out his hand to take the crayon. "Give me that, Pinky. I'm going to help you sit up."

Blue eyes that had been dimmed from boredom suddenly lit up. "I can leave the bed now?" He handed the crayon over, the others had long since thrown themselves overboard in an attempt to escape the bed, but they could only roll so far and ended up joining the jacks and tile. They were probably having a fun time on the floor. Pinky had been near to throwing himself overboard too, but Brain had been watching too closely.

"I don't want to try that until I know you can sit up without any adverse effects." He gave Pinky's belly a soft pat, leaving his hand there a moment. "This is different from our taking over the world injuries, but the stitches have been healing. You've been doing a wonderful job staying put."

Pinky groaned, "But I'm so _bored_! Oh, please can I get up, Brain? I'll be good, I promise! _Narf!_ Oh, the _inhumanity_! It's been forever! I can't take it anymore!"

"Pinky, I told you. You can get up if sitting doesn't put a strain on your body." Brain set down the crayon and returned to his friend, slipping an arm beneath his back. He offered his other hand for Pinky to latch onto. "You've already been hurt," he grumbled. "I don't want to see you suffering more. Now, very carefully, I want you to sit up."

He gazed up at his cagemate, eyes wide at the admission. Well, it wasn't like Brain was trying to be mean by keeping him in bed. He just wanted him to be safe. Sighing, Pinky nodded and placed his hand in Brain's, resisting the urge to arch against the hand on his back. His tummy wouldn't like that very much, no it wouldn't. "'Kay. Sorry, Brain." He pushed himself up slowly, the stitches tightening, but doing no more than causing mild discomfort. "What did they put a zipper in me for anyway," he grumbled, feeling strangely irritated. "Poit."

"I don't know, Pinky. The scientist in charge of this experiment has even worse handwriting than you do." He'd be glad when his notes were placed on the lab computers and he could scour them properly. "But the stitches are being absorbed and your fur will grow back and cover the scars. You'll be fine." Brain rubbed his back gently when he was sitting up, studying him carefully to make sure he wasn't hiding any extra pain. "Did that hurt at all?"

Pinky shook his head, leaning into his friend's touch. "Just a little pinchy," he admitted, but not much different than how he'd felt earlier. "Like if I got my fur caught in something, except without the fur." He looked down at his naked belly, still fascinated by the pink skin.

"Alright." Brain gave his hand a squeeze, debating with himself for a moment. "If I let you stand up, you have to be very careful. You still can't run on your wheel, or run at all. And if standing doesn't hurt, we'll see if you can walk to the water bottle."

"Really, Brain?" Pinky beamed at him, his tail wagging for the first time since he'd woken up. "Oh, thank you! You're so generous!" It didn't matter that he couldn't run, at least he could move. "I promise, I'll do just as you say." He squeezed his hand back.

"Hm. You'd better." He so rarely did, after all. He tried, but it was never exact. Brain drew back, moving his hand from Pinky's back to his side to help him turn. "Turn now, Pinky, and tell me if it hurts even if you don't want to."

"'Kay." Nodding, he carefully shifted and wiggled so that his legs could dangle off the edge of the bed. Pinky poked himself in the tummy, it didn't seem to hurt any extra. "Hoorah!" he cheered, smiling brightly at Brain and started to slide off the bed so he could stand.

Brain helped him, holding onto his arms just in case he started to fall back or something. But Pinky made it to his feet without incident, so Brain took a step back and let his hands slide down to Pinky's, holding them up and taking his gaze over his friend to make sure that nothing had pulled too tightly and Pinky had just ignored it. "It would appear that you made it just fine."

Giving their hands a delighted squeeze, Pinky glanced at them, eyes darting from one to the other. "Oh, Brain!" He brought them together, keeping Brain's sandwiched between his own as his gaze focused on Brain's. "Does this mean I can walk to the water bottle? _Zort!_"

He battled back the blush that wanted to fill his face, giving a small nod. "Yes, it does." Stepping back, Brain released one of his friend's hands. "I'll go with you. If you start to feel dizzy or anything, inform me immediately."

"Right, Brain! Immediately!" He nodded quickly, holding tight to Brain's hand as he started to march. Oh, no, no marching. The zipper did not like marching. Neither did his knees. Oh, it was like he hadn't walked for three days or something ridiculous like that! So, walking like a normal person, a very slow normal person, Pinky crossed the cage with Brain, counting his steps to keep them slow. Not counting correctly, of course, but that didn't matter.

Brain gave his companion's tummy a small rub as they walked, just to see what it felt like when he was moving. A little mushy higher up, a little tender, and strangely empty further down. It was as if there was a hollow place where there had been organs. But if he was missing organs, he would be dead. He made Pinky stop halfway to the bottle, carefully pressing a little firmer. "I'm sorry if this hurts, but I need to check something. Just squeeze my hand and focus on that rather than where I'm touching," he suggested and pressed and prodded a little bit more to try and feel him properly. The organs didn't seem to be gone, but... adjusted. For what possible purpose?

Despite Brain's warning and suggestion, Pinky still tried to back away. Oh, that did not feel pleasant at all. He squeezed his hand tight and cringed. "Don't do that," he whimpered. "Please stop it, Brain." His tummy already felt funny, now it hurt even more inside. Squishy and sore and jumbly mixed up.

"I know it hurts, Pinky. I'm sorry." Brain truly did detest that he was causing his best friend so much pain, but he needed to try and discover what he could about what had been done to him. "Do you feel a pressure or an emptiness in you that you didn't before?" he asked, switching from pressing to gentle caresses.

"Mmhm." He looked down at the stripe of pink against white fur. "It feels like the puzzle was put together all wrong inside." It was really scary now that he was thinking about it. What if an alien worm popped out of him like in that late night movie he'd watched? It might've been eating all his insides like a tasty snack. "Brain, Brain, what does that mean?" he asked nervously, tugging on his hand.

"Don't fret, Pinky. It'll be alright. Everything seems to still be in there." Perhaps they'd removed a kidney and just dumped everything back in at random. Brain scowled. Lazy humans. "Let's take you to the water bottle and then settle you back in bed. I'll create something for you so you can sit on the floor tomorrow, alright?"

"'Kay..." Well, if Brain said everything was okay, then he trusted him. "Can I still stay near you, too?" he asked as he started walking again, more willing to go slowly now that he realized how much his stomach could hurt. "Poit."

"Yes, Pinky, I'll sit beside you if you like." Brain stopped at the water bottle. He'd already moved it higher so Pinky wouldn't have to bend over to drink. "Drink slowly. We don't want to overwhelm your system."

Pinky took careful sips, relishing the cool taste of the water. He didn't drink much though, it sloshed in his belly strangely. "But Brain, how do you reach?" he asked, pulling back and realizing how high the bottle was placed.

"I have a small step stool," he grumbled, shrugging. "It's just until you're healed, after all. Now are you finished?" He offered his hand again, ready to lead his cagemate back to their bed. He could walk more after he got some sleep.

"Watered like a happy tomato." Pinky nodded, taking Brain's hand. It was nice that his friend was so willing to hold his hand all the time now. It was one of the things that made his heart act oddly, but in a good way. He squeezed his hand. "_Narf_. Thank you, Brain."

"You're welcome." Taking his time, Brain began leading him back to their bed. "When you get back in bed, I'm going to read one of your stories to you and you're going to sleep. Understand?"

"Clear as lemons." Pinky rubbed his tummy as they walked, hoping the water would keep the evil alien inside satisfied for now. Maybe if it stayed happy, it wouldn't pop out all scary like a jack-in-the-box with teeth and a wormy head. When they reached the bed, the taller mouse sat down gingerly. "Feel better, tummy," he told it softly as he laid back.

"Feel better, Pinky," Brain grumbled, the irritation he was aiming for dampened by how careful his hands were as he assisted his friend in lying down. He gave his belly a soft pat before tugging the covers up and tucking him in. "Which story do you want to hear?"

Pinky snuggled under the blankets as he thought for a moment. "Umm... oh! _Zort._ The Ugly Duckling!" He was in a ducky mood. Duckies made everything better, even when they were swans.

"Alright." Leaving his hand on Pinky's stomach over the blankets, the megalomaniac launched into the tale. He peppered in larger words, adding bits to the story to elongate it and give Pinky time to get sleepy.

With this story he had to stay awake to the end, because the little swan-duck was always sad until the end, though he did get plenty sleepy as Brain told it. And wasn't it funny that the little duckling tried to take over the world just like they did! Blue eyes grew heavy and he had to force them to stay open, locked onto the pretty pink ones above him. Brain's eyes were really lovely, there wasn't a crayon color exactly like them. Once the duckling-swan found his family and lived happily ever after as rulers of the world, Pinky let his eyes close and sighed happily. "Thank you for being the bestest friend and family ever, Brain," he murmured tiredly.

Since his eyes were closed, Brain let himself blush. _And family_. He gave Pinky's cheek a pat, disguising a stroke as a check of his temperature. "You're welcome, Pinky. Go to sleep now."

"'Kay. Goodnight." He nuzzled against the pillow, drifting off fairly quickly, his body still decently taxed from the surgery.

"Goodnight," Brain murmured, getting to his feet after he'd fallen asleep. He pressed his nose to Pinky's brow, rubbed gently, and strode away to formulate a plan to enact once Pinky was better. And he _would_ get better even if the megalomaniac had to take x-rays and create a mouse-sized CAT-scan machine to see what exactly was wrong with him first.

* * *

Poor Pinky, boredom isn't the only thing he'll have to deal with soon. But isn't Brain being so good to him? All touchy feely and still grumpy-grumbly haha. I love my Brain. Go StarShineDC! You're fabulous, darling, putting up with Pinky's mood swings xDDDD


	4. Chapter 4

Being able to move around a little bit was definite improvement over the day before, but his legs had the urge to run around and sitting on the floor couldn't really satisfy that. Pinky sighed, one of his scribbles becoming a rather unattractive whirlywind. Unattractive only because it was all spinny and fun and he wasn't. It whirlywinded right over his drawing of himself and all the cheese he'd colored in too. Movement outside the cage had him looking up. The scientists had been peering in on him more frequently than usual, staring at his belly. It made him feel exposed, so he turned his back to them, trying to focus on his pictures.

Brain sighed, the staring getting on his nerves. It had been most of the day, but when they only went to the other side of the cage to continue staring at Pinky, scribbling notes on clipboards, he became thoroughly annoyed. With a sound representing just how annoyed, he got to his feet and tugged the blanket from their bed. He wrapped it carefully and carried it to Pinky, draping it over his shoulders to effectively shield him from prying eyes. "Don't fret, old friend. They'll be gone soon." And then he could commence working on the CAT-scan machine he'd spent the day designing. It had only been two days, but he was tired of waiting on notes to tell him just what had been done to his companion.

Pinky smiled gratefully. That was his best friend The Brain, always looking out for him! "I don't know what they keep looking at me for. I'm not any different than I was before." Except for the evil alien. "What are they writing down, Brain?"

"They're observing our behavior, Pinky." Perhaps they thought that once his physical body was altered, Brain would react negatively towards him. Or they were just waiting to see if whatever they'd removed would kill him, or... Brain's ears flattened. He was extremely tired of the myriad of possibilities. There were simply too many. "Don't worry, Pinky. This will pass once you're all healed."

"Oh, I hope that'll be soon, Brain. I miss my wheel. And my Julian Michelles' extreme workout DVD." No pain, no gain. Or loss, since it was advocating weight loss after all. For a while, he thought the TV show that Julian was from was very rude. "The Hugest Loser". Not very nice at all to call someone a loser. It took him three seasons to realize they meant "loser" as in "losing weight" and not in a "loser's club for losers" way. He felt better after that. "And my tummy still feels funny. _Troz._"

"I know, Pinky. But at least the stitches are looking better today. Perhaps tomorrow you'll be able to walk around more easily." So Brain could give him a scan and discover just what this was.

He hugged the blanket around him and nudged his colors away. He'd play more with them later, his mahjong tile and jacks wanted attention again and he was more than happy to oblige. "Are you gonna try and take over the world tonight, Brain?" he asked as he started to build a fort out of jacks.

"No, Pinky; I am going to be building something, however. You can sit and watch television while I work." Brain watched him for another moment, waiting for the scientists watching them to leave before stepping away from his friend to get back to his blueprints.

"'Kay," he replied, relieved that Brain wasn't going to try while he still couldn't move much. It took him a few moments before he realized his friend had left his side, but when he had, he pushed his jack fort over to him, sliding along the floor because standing took too much effort and sliding got the job done just as well, if only a little slow. "Is that what you're building? Is it a giant gumball machine filled with pudding?"

"What use would I have for a gumball machine full of pudding?" Brain muttered, shaking his head. Since he was closeby and bopping him wasn't an option, the shorter mouse reached out and adjusted the blanket for an excuse to touch him. "No, Pinky. What I'm building is a machine that will allow me to take photographs of your insides so I can discover just what was done to you."

"Naaaaaaaarf," he awed, blinking at the blueprints then broke into a huge grin. "Oh, if anyone can find out what happened, you can, Brain! And make it all better too!" He nodded firmly; there was no mouse he trusted more. It was a good thing Brain was such a smarty.

Hopefully there wasn't anything to make all better. Brain loathed the idea of having to open his friend up again to reverse whatever had been done. "I'll certainly try, Pinky." He tapped his pencil to the blueprints. "This will be easy enough to construct. I have all the materials I'll need here at the lab. It'll just take a bit of time."

Pinky grabbed onto his toes, almost rocking back before he remembered that would hurt, so stayed where he was. "Take all the time you need, Brain. I can be patient. Umm... sometimes." He smiled sheepishly, because he certainly wasn't being patient with all this sitting still nonsense.

Brain gave him a bland look. "You try," he replied, willing to give him a bit of leeway since he was still hurting. He looked up when the lights shut off, a little surprised that he hadn't noticed the scientists departing. He usually always noticed. "Alright, Pinky, I'll put on a movie for you before I get to work. Do you think you can make it across the counter?"

"Oh, a movie! _Zort!_ I'll try, Brain," he told him, excited and glancing around for a way to push himself up to stand. "Umm... Brain? Can you help me get up? Poit. I can make it the rest of the way by myself." He reached out for his cagemate, just needing that extra tug upwards.

"I wasn't intending for you to have to make it the entire way on your own," Brain informed him, getting to his feet. He took a hold of one of Pinky's hands, wrapping his other arm around his waist. "I'm perfectly willing to offer you assistance when you require it, Pinky." He helped him up carefully, releasing his hold to rest a palm over his belly. "Hurting?"

He was. His ears drooped, a dead giveaway, and he instinctively squeezed his friend's hand. He would've tried to hide it better, but Brain was very smart, he would've figured it out. "A little," he admitted, and it really wasn't all that bad, especially now with Brain's hand on his tummy. It felt all warm and nice on the sensitive skin, making the twinge of pain almost worth it. He didn't want it to keep him from seeing the movie after all. "But I can still walk! With help... troz."

He probably shouldn't be sitting up for an entire movie. but Brain truly didn't want to tell him that he couldn't watch one. He'd been behaving surprisingly well, considering how bored he was. He thought for a moment, giving Pinky's belly a gentle rub. "Just stay there, Pinky." He picked the blanket up and put it around the taller mouse's shoulders again. "I believe reclining will give you a bit more variety and comfort than sitting. So just remain here and wait for me," he instructed.

Pinky blinked curiously, but nodded slowly and hugged the blanket around him. "'Kay. But, umm... Wuh- where are you going, Brain?"

"Through a lot of trouble," he grumbled quietly, but waved it off. "Not far, Pinky. You'll be able to see me the entire time." He walked off to the other end of their cage, plucked up a small folded beach chair and carried it out after picking the lock with his tail. He set it down in front of the television set, adjusting it to the upright position. He'd crane it down once Pinky was seated. He returned to the cage for their pillows, holding both under one arm as he returned to Pinky's side. Brain offered his free hand. "Come, Pinky."

Holding to the blanket with one hand, Pinky took Brain's in the other and followed to the TV. Oh, his friend was being so thoughtful, it actually made him a little embarrassed that he was going to all this trouble just for him. He was still holding his hand all the time, which made him feel really special and important. And loved. "_Narf._" Blue eyes went wide for a moment, but then he was beaming and looking at his cagemate with an abundance of adoration. Loved, yes, that sounded quite nice. They were best friends and family of course, why not add love? His heart jumped about in his chest and for the first time in several days his tummy felt something other than pinchy. "Thank you, Brain," he told him shyly as they got to the chair, reluctant to let his hand go.

Brain looked up at him, at little taken aback by the look in Pinky's eyes and the way his heart thudded in response. He cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to their hands. "Well... You're welcome." Giving his hand a squeeze before releasing it, the megalomaniac settled one of the pillows into the chair to give his lower back some support before setting the other one down for the moment. "Come now, Pinky, let's get you comfortable. Or as comfortable as possible."

He sat down carefully and leaned back against the pillow. It was fairly comfortable, much more than sitting up straight or lying down flat. Tugging the blanket from around his shoulders, he set it in his lap. "'Kay! All comfy!"

"Good." Taking the second pillow, Brain settled it behind Pinky's head. "Which movie would you like?"

"Snow White and the Seven Samurai! Poit. I mean, dwarfs," he chirped, tucking his arms and legs and tail under the blanket until only his head was showing.

"Of course." Brain put it on, letting the previews roll since Pinky seemed to think they were a part of the actual movie, and gave one of his ears a stroke since it was nearly all that was showing. "I'll be nearby. Call for me if you need me, but don't get out of this chair. Not even when the queen scares you." Like she always did. Every single time.

Pinky nodded, quietly purring as his ear twitched. "Oh, don't worry, Brain! She won't sneak up on me this time! I'll be ready! _Narf!_" He turned his attention back to the screen, humming along when the blue screen appeared and the little castle was drawn over it. He loved that part, it was so wonderful that it was in so many movies. But Snow White was one of his absolute favorites! He adored the happy little forest animals who helped her clean the house! And she was so pretty, and she wore yellow in her dress! Which was why he also liked Beauty and the Beast, just not as much. "Oh, I want to find a wishing well..." he mused aloud, watching her sing to her reflection.

Brain left him to it, sure that Pinky would get the irritatingly joyful songs stuck in his head by morning. He went back to the cage to retrieve his blueprints, checking them over one last time before gathering his supplies... and stopping near Pinky to check on him far more than what was necessary. But he was still recovering and he'd admitted to being in a bit of pain, so it wasn't as though his worry was unfounded.

Comforted by his logic and close enough to actually hear the annoying songs, Brain kicked at the flint to strike his little blowtorch and got to work.

Pinky prided himself in being brave enough to face the scary forest scene all by himself. Even if he had to hide his face in his blanket for most of it. But once it was over, then the happy scene started! All the animals came out to help poor, lost Snow White. Whose heart was still in her body and not in that little box. He wondered if that box made strange beeping sounds when it had a heart in it and what would happen to Snow White if it wasn't in her body anymore, if it was so important.

That thought didn't stick around for long though, because then the dwarfs showed up! He giggled at Grumpy's permanent scowly-scowl and wondered what it looked like to see through the diamonds like Dopey did, and why he got a bop on the head for it. But he kept his questions to himself, actually sitting quietly through the songs. He'd tried singing earlier, along with the prince's love song, but it hurt his tummy to take in that much air, so he decided to just let the movie sing and he'd enjoy that. Unfortunately, he got so caught up in the movie that he forgot all about the mean ol' queen until she popped back up again.

"Brain!" he wailed, hiding under the blanket again when the room started spinning and the queen drank the scary potion. Maybe she wouldn't see him if he couldn't see her.

The megalomaniac flipped up his visor and looked Pinky's way, taking note of the scene. And he'd been so quiet through the rest of it. He blew out the blowtorch, setting it aside. He tugged off the gloves as he made his way towards his childish companion. "Pinky, it's alright. She can't get you." Lips twitching when one ear popped free of the blanket, Brain gently took a finger along the curve. "You're fine."

"But, Brain! Her hair! And her knobby-gnarly hands!" Not to mention the crescendo of the music. That made it a bajillion times worse. Yet the touch to his ear soothed him some, enough to peek out at Brain from under the blanket. "Promise she can't? P-poit."

"Yes, Pinky, I promise. The wicked old queen isn't after you anyway." He was rather used to having to do this, but it usually included grabbing Pinky's tail or his ear to drag him in order to explain that night's plan. This was different, so Pinky's ear was just stroked again. "I wouldn't let her get you if she was."

"Naaaaaaaarf..." His blue eyes sparkled and he lowered the blanket more to smile brightly at his cagemate. "Oh, I wouldn't let her get you either, Brain! Even if she made really mean faces at me." And he meant it too. He and Brain were supposed to be together all the time. By the time he glanced back at the TV, the scene had passed and it was back to the dwarfs and Snow White, dancing and singing and having a good time.

"Good." Brain patted Pinky's cheek, leaving his hand there a moment longer than what was strictly necessary. "Now I have to get back to work. I'm nearly finished with the machine."

"'Kay," he said softly, not looking away from the screen but giving a slight nod to show he'd heard him. As he did so, he found his head tilting into the palm resting on his cheek. "Shh, Brain, it's the best part."

It was always the best part as long as it wasn't scary. Brain lifted a brow at the dancing dwarves and gave his cheek an absent caress before striding away to get back to work, picking up his gloves on the way and tugging them on. He needed to discover what was wrong with his companion and soon.

Oh, the "Someday My Prince Will Come" song always made him a little teary. It was just so pretty sounding. And all the little animals were in love too. Pinky sighed and stole a glance at his cagemate, watching him work for a moment or two. A warm, sleepy smile tugged at his lips. He was glad he didn't have to wait for someday. He managed to get through the whole song and part of the bedtime scene before falling asleep himself. He was just so tired.

Brain completed the scanner midway through the credits, took a step back to admire his handiwork before pushing it against the wall and draping a sheet over it. It was as though the scientists had blinders to things with sheets over them, which certainly came in handy when he didn't have time to hide things in the basement.

He made his way to Pinky, stopping when he realized that his companion had fallen asleep. There was something almost surreal about seeing the usually hyperactive mouse sound asleep while a cartoon played. Brain absolutely hated seeing him ill. It didn't suit him in the slightest, and the fact that the damage was unnatural made his blood boil. No one should ever, _ever_, lay a hand on his Pinky. The fools simply didn't understand that they were dealing with something precious.

Scowling, he cupped Pinky's cheeks in his hands and felt a very odd stirring in his heart that broke through the anger. Not entirely unfamiliar as he'd been feeling it more and more lately, but it was still odd. He only felt it around Pinky. "Pinky," he murmured, "wake up."

"Mm..." Blue eyes blinked open blearily. "Did I miss true love's kiss and the happily ever after?" he mumbled, stretching against the chair with a soft groan.

"Yes, Pinky, you did." Brain rested a hand on his belly, silently communicating with him to be careful. "But it's bedtime now."

"M'not tired... troz," he protested while yawning, removing his hands from inside the blanket to rub his eyes. "I have to help the animals get away from the scary fruit."

"Don't fret, Pinky. They made it safe and sound." He reached up to draw the blanket away. "I'm going to look and see how your abdomen is faring, alright?"

Pinky nodded and turned his attention to his stomach once it was exposed. "Is the alien still inside?" he asked, still half-asleep, his lids heavy as he blinked slowly.

"There's no alien inside," Brain grumbled, scanning the pink surface with his eyes and then stroking it gently with his fingers. "The scientists don't know enough about aliens to implant one within you." Brain would've known otherwise.

"No, it's there, I have to feed it or it'll pop out of me like 'surprise' in a cake." He yawned again and steadily became more alert, sitting up straighter as he watched Brain's hand. "It happened in that movie."

"This isn't a movie, Pinky. Now it's bedtime; I mean it." He looked up, frowning slightly. "Your stomach feels a little firmer today than it does yesterday, which is a good sign. You're healing inside too." Though it was still too mushy and odd for Brain's liking.

Patting his tummy to see for himself, Pinky didn't really notice anything different, but Brain was a smarty so he trusted his word. "'Kay. Did you finish your gumball machine scanner thingy?" he asked as he hugged the blanket to his chest and carefully stood from the chair.

"Yes, it's finished. But I don't want to put it through you just yet. We'll wait until tomorrow night." He gathered up the pillows and tucked them under his arm, taking Pinky's hand to help him back to the cage.

A sleepy smile reappeared on his face when their hands were joined again. "_Narf._ So no taking over the world tomorrow night either? Gee, Brain... that's... that's a lot of nights." He glanced around to see if he could spot the machine as they walked. "Why not do the machiney thing tonight?"

"Because you're tired, Pinky. And whatever they've done doesn't seem to have put you in any immediate danger, so it'll keep for one more night." And he didn't want to have to explain to Pinky what had happened when he was tired and Brain was feeling somewhat sleepy himself. He didn't want to make some sort of mistake while dealing with the scanner... and he needed to test it before he put Pinky under it.

"Oh, alright. Poit." It was so strange to be so tired, he was used to staying up much later than this. Trying to take over the world usually took a lot longer than one movie. When they got back to the cage and Pinky had settled down on the bed, he spread the blanket out so it covered Brain's side too and looked over at the smaller mouse. "Are you gonna have bedtime now too?" He had this strong urge to cuddle and would prefer it if his cagemate were to get in bed as well.

The megalomaniac covered a yawn with the back of his hand, making sure Pinky was properly tucked in before going to his own side of the bed and climbing in beneath the covers. "Yes." Between building the machine, dealing with worry, and helping Pinky keep distracted, he was as tired as he normally was after a plan.

"_Narf_," he sighed happily, scooting across the bed until he was pressed against him. He couldn't roll over to hug him, so nuzzled his head against Brain's shoulder instead. "Goodnight, Brain."

With a light blush dusting his cheeks, Brain rolled onto his side and laid a hand on Pinky's stomach to make sure he hadn't pulled at the stitches with all his movements. He left it there to discourage any extra movements and let himself relax. "Goodnight, Pinky."

* * *

Stolen from StarShineDC's deviantART account:

I just adore this chapter, lol  
Brain's so sweet! In his grumpy way, lol  
And Pinky's just as sweet as always, lol  
Though the Snow White and the Seven Samurai comment does make you wonder XD

* * *

And I love this chapter too! Brain is sweet and Pinky is scared of the queen xDDD It's adorableness all over the place.


	5. Chapter 5

Dirty, dirty, dirty! Pinky sulked on the floor, pouting very hard at a corner of the cage he just couldn't get to without standing. And he couldn't stand because his tummy still hurt. But it needed to be cleaned! Everything needed to be moved around and cleaned because it wasn't right. None of it was. And no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, playing with his crayons and jacks, it kept distracting him. He threw one of the jacks at the corner. It was laughing at him by being dusty.

His tail flicked, much like that of an annoyed cat, and his arms folded across his chest. He was so tired of not being able to do anything! The mean ol' zipper was still there and mean ol' Brain was making him stay sitting. Well, that and every time he tried to get up, his stomach got all queasy-icky mad. Oh, he'd made the alien angry. It was holding his body hostage while it waited for him to meet its demands. But he had no clue what it wanted. He offered it a phone, but it didn't seem to want to call home or anything.

So now the alien was mad, his tummy hurt really bad, the scientists were _still _looking at him, he had a mean cagemate, he couldn't move, and the cage was still dirty. Worst day ever.

"Pinky, don't throw your jacks. You're behaving like a child." And Brain's patience was stretching thin. He knew Pinky hated sitting there all day, but there was nothing either of them could do about it. Not until he was properly healed.

The taller mouse just glared at him. Well, as much as Pinky was capable of glaring. It wasn't one of his strong suits. So he threw another jack, because at least he could do that if he couldn't do anything else.

"Pinky! I mean it!" He got to his feet, his glare much more effective thanks to plenty of practice. "I realize you're bored, but that's no reason to throw things."

Were he not the one experiencing his emotions, it would've come as a surprise to him how quickly he went from being annoyed and grumpy-grumbly to bursting into tears and feeling very sad. Oh, he didn't want Brain mad at him too, like the alien! "I'm-mm sorry, Brain! D-don't be m-mad! I-I just-!" He clutched his stomach, apparently the alien really didn't like crying, it was all gurgly inside. "My tummy hurts!"

Brain's ears fell, glare becoming a surprised blink. He was used to Pinky's mood swings, but tears usually didn't come quite like that and he was very rarely mad. So he went over to his friend and sat in front of him, reaching out to take his hands and remove them from his stomach. "Shh, Pinky, I'm not mad. Stop that crying now. I know it hurts." He replaced Pinky's hands with one of his own, massaging gently.

With a few loud sniffles, Pinky managed to calm himself. His wails became quiet blubbering whimpers. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up and I didn't even go on a super spinny ride or eat the stuff from behind the fridge," he complained, scrubbing at his face, but it was a rather half-hearted grouse. It was hard to stay grumbly or sad when his tummy was being massaged so nicely. Brain was such a good, bestest friend, he felt bad for calling him mean earlier, even if it was only in his head.

Brain looked down at his stomach, frowning. He didn't like that Pinky was feeling queasy. "It'll be alright, Pinky. You can throw up in the thimble if it gets too bad." Which was... disgusting, but it was the best that could be done with Pinky having to stay put. "Would you like to try walking around the cage? Maybe that'll help settle your system."

Pinky nodded slowly. Sitting certainly wasn't helping, so maybe walking would. He reached out for Brain. "Can I have a hug first?" He blinked, not quite sure why that had come out, but he wouldn't fight it or complain. A hug did sound awfully nice. "Please?"

"I suppose," Brain relented and carefully leaned close to give him a hug, winding his arms around his friend. "Don't squeeze too tightly," he warned. "You'll hurt both of us."

"'Kay." He wrapped his arms around him and kept it gentle, resting his chin on his shoulder. Oh, he did love being hugged and didn't want to mess it up. And hugs from Brain were extra extra special. "Thank you, Brain," he sighed happily, his tail swishing against the floor.

"You're welcome, Pinky." Sighing, Brain gently stroked his back. "You'll be able to run about like normal in just a few days, alright? And then this will just be a rather unfortunate memory."

"Right, Brain," he agreed, liking the sound of that. Though there were some things he didn't want to go back to normal, like the hand holding and the tummy rubs. And hugs like this. All the affection made his heart very happy, and hadn't he told Brain he'd take care of his heart? So all these things were very good for both of them. "Naaaaaaarf."

The hug was beginning to make him unnaturally warm, his heart giving those odd flutters again. So Brain cleared his throat and drew back a bit. "Come, Pinky, time to stand. And then you can recline in the beach chair instead of sitting straight."

"Hoorah!" He released his friend and shakily got to his feet. His stomach gave a lurch, his hands immediately flying to it, but as he waited a moment nothing happened and his tummy settled some. Ha! That alien wasn't so tough.

Brain rested his hand on Pinky's side, waiting for him to steady. "Alright, Pinky, you can lead the way."

"Lead the way where to what, Brain?" he asked, blinking at him as he automatically took hold of his hand. "The yellow brick road? _Zort_."

"Lead the way around the cage, Pinky. It isn't very much space, so you can't possibly lead us astray." He gave Pinky's hand a squeeze. "Understand?"

"Oh, right, Brain," he giggled quietly, then began to pace the length of the cage. "After you scan me, I can play again?"

"After you _heal_, you can play again." Brain patted his stomach as they went, rubbing carefully to feel how the insides moved while he walked. "After I scan, you can watch another movie. Since my world domination schemes have been put on hold until you're well, perhaps I'll even watch it with you if it isn't horrible."

Pinky's eyes widened and he smiled brightly. "Really, Brain? Oh, please! That would be lovely!" They never watched movies together! Unless they were movies Brain made for taking over the world, which was fun too. Brain was very good at making movies. Pinky squirmed a little against the rubbing, adoring the touch but the bare skin was still sensitive and unused to the lack of fur. "We can watch one of those movies without its color," he suggested, as if to entice his friend even further.

"You've been forced to sit largely in the same place for long enough that I don't want to bore you further. We'll watch one of your more bearable cartoons." He knew the rough plot to all of them, anyway. Pinky loved to share. "But not until after your scan. Now how does your tummy feel?"

He looked down. "Still funny, but not as bad. Oh, I hope I don't throw up. It makes my mouth all icky." He made a face, sticking his tongue out and scrunching his nose in distaste.

"Just don't think about it," Brain suggested, pausing as they reached the far side of the cage, facing the computers. "Pinky, look. It's the scientist in charge of your experiment." Brain's ears perked slightly, listening to the clacking of the keyboard. "With any luck, those are the notes on you that he's typing."

Pinky stuck his tongue out again, this time at the scientist. "Mean ol' Mr. Rude Man. Zipping up my tummy and making it hurt." He looked over at Brain. "What kind of experiments have to do with tummies, Brain?"

"There are many kinds, Pinky. Not just your stomach is in here." He rubbed the patch of skin again. He was very used to touching his companion in various manners, though he usually kept his hands centered to his head - bops, tugs, grabs. The occasional wrist-grab was implemented as well, but very rarely was the attention so intimate. It was just a little strange that Brain wasn't seeking to punish or latch onto Pinky's short attention-span, but the touches still came so frequently and easily. Perhaps he enjoyed doting on his cagemate more than he ever would've thought. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

Right, not just his stomach was in there. The alien was waiting too. "Are you gonna read his secret notes and find out?" Pinky leaned a little on his cagemate, the thought of the alien squirming around inside as he pleased making him nauseous again. "Poit."

"Of course I am, Pinky. Knowing what I'm searching for will make the scan go much faster." Assuming his stomach was giving him issues again, Brain rested his hand on it and began to soothingly caress the pink surface. Perhaps he needed something more distracting than his usual toys. "Pinky, what's something you'd like to do that doesn't require you to move around too much? Or..." He hesitated a little. "Perhaps something you'd like me to do for you. I know boredom is most likely contributing to your uneasiness."

Pinky was once again startled by the suddenness of what he wanted. _A kiss._ His stomach flip flopped and he had to hold onto one of the bars of their cage for support. The voice in his head had sounded so demanding, he'd never wanted something like that before. Well, maybe not never. After all, he had been comparing Brain to his very own prince charming last night... but still! "Umm..." he stalled, trying to think of something else, but that was all he could see. All he really wanted. No, there had to be something else, he couldn't just ask for that... could he?

He looked at Brain with an unfamiliar expression that passed for concentration for him. He'd held his hand and hugged him when he asked, willingly rubbed his tummy without needing to be asked at all, and even let him snuggle up with him in bed... a kiss was the next thing, right? And if he didn't want to... he could just say so... The thought of him refusing made him feel very sad inside though, sad enough for him to shake away the idea of kissing for now and replace it with something else.

"Can you sing, Brain? I do like it when you sing," he requested, smiling shyly.

His hand immediately stilled on Pinky's belly, and he looked up with a combination of suspicion and what tried to be mild intrigue. "You want me to sing?"

The smile turned nervous. Egad, he could read minds! He _knew!_ But Pinky simply gulped and nodded. "Mmhm."

"How on earth is that going to keep you entertained?" Brain demanded, fidgeting nervously. He never sang if he thought Pinky was paying attention, particularly not since their failed casino scheme. "Brainatra" had evolved into an unfortunate occurrence after having to sing nightly in order to buy back their own lab. Thankfully, their tax return had been high enough to buy it back early.

"Oh, you're very entertaining, Brain," Pinky assured him, squeezing his hand. "You have a lovely voice! _Troz_." He really did, but he didn't sing in front of him often. He'd have to be super sneaky spy-like and hide behind things so the smaller mouse wouldn't know he was there. He swallowed again, averting his eyes so Brain wouldn't know that he was still playing images of them kissing in his head. On the lips too, oh, he should really have asked for permission before doing that, but he couldn't help it! "I- umm... _narf! _ You don't have to, Brain."

Brain sighed heavily. "No, Pinky, I'll sing for you. It'll be easier for both of us if you're kept entertained. Come. We'll get you settled down in the chair again so your belly can rest."

"And you can rub it some more?" he asked as they went, his eyes lighting up with Brain's... well, not willingness to sing per se, but at least he was going to! That was almost as good as kissing!

Nearly stumbling over the words, color flooded his face and he glanced up. "Your belly? Yes." And, a little startled by the turn his mind had taken, the megalomaniac released Pinky's hand the moment they reached the chair. "I'll... go and retrieve the pillows," he grumbled and turned away.

"'Kay." Pinky sat down on the edge of the chair and laced his fingers together, looking downward. Brain had let go of his hand so fast... he couldn't really read minds, right? The taller mouse wasn't so sure though, his bestest best friend was the world's biggest smarty after all. If anyone could do it, he could. And his cheeks had been all reddy-red-red. It made his get warm too, really warm. Frowning slightly, he clapped his palms over them. Egad, what was going on with him? His tummy was flipping and flopping again too. "Brain... can you get the thimble too? Poit..." Just in case.

"Yes, Pinky, I will." The megalomaniac settled a pillow against the back of the chair, helping Pinky lie back before he got the thimble, settling it at his sidekick's side. Brain rested a hand on his belly, kneading the tender flesh carefully. "Do you want the blanket too?"

He shook his head, humming softly as he got comfortable, trying to will away the red in his cheeks. Blue eyes stared at Brain's hand for a while, until he was confident his face was back to normal, then raised them to his cagemate's face. "Thanks, Brain."

"You're welcome, Pinky." Brain averted his gaze from Pinky's. It was his turn to watch his hand while he worked up the nerve to sing. With a small frown, he finally just closed his eyes and started belting the first Spinatra song he could think of.

Pinky beamed, clasping his hands over his heart as he both watched and listened. When Brain sang, he put his all into it and it showed. He batted his lashes and sighed dreamily. Was this what it felt like to swoon? No, usually people were standing when that happened. But his head felt all tingly and for the first time that day he didn't spare his stomach a second thought, save for the hand warming the surface of it. Surely if he were standing, he'd be dizzy like the people in the movies always seemed to be.

The megalomaniac wasn't entirely aware of what song he was singing until the last line was halfway sung. "And I like you..." He blinked and looked up, color seeping into his cheeks. "Under my skin," he murmured, ears dropping a little. The way Pinky was looking at him was... Well, Brain rather liked it. But it was new and a little worrying because it was new. He cleared his throat. "Ah... Hm."

"Oh, that was beautiful, Brain!" Pinky gazed at him admiringly, blue eyes sparkling. His plan had backfired though, now he wanted to kiss him more than ever! It wouldn't take much... just lean up a little... angle his head... "_Narf._" He laid a hand over the one on his tummy, not breaking eye contact with Brain.

His ears dropped a little more, eyes widening a fraction. The odd flutter of his heart had returned, but it was quite a bit worse than simple fluttering. "Ah... Thank you, Pinky. I'm... glad you enjoyed it."

Pinky lowered his lids halfway, his adoring smile still present on his lips. "Oh, I more than enjoyed it, Brain." And he was going to more than enjoy this too... he would kiss him. He was just asking for it really, looking all cute and big-eyed and floppy eared. And they were almost close enough... just a little further- "Ow!" Pinky winced, the stitches pulling as he'd leaned too far in his current position. And he hadn't really gotten all that much closer at all. So much for that.

"Pinky, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful?" Brain admonished, not entirely sure if he was relieved or disappointed. He went with annoyed since it was easiest to deal with, and nudged Pinky back down. "I don't want you hurting yourself."

"Sorry, Brain..." His ears lay flat against his head as he settled back against the pillow. That hadn't worked out all. Tears welled up in his eyes, partially from the pain but mostly because his feelings felt really big and uncontrollable. "I just... I just wanted to..." Pinky gazed into Brain's annoyed face and a few tears squeezed out. Oh, who was he kidding? Brain probably didn't want to kiss him. Not when he was all zippery and full of icky alien slime. "I'll be more careful... poit."

Brain's ears fell again, annoyance being replaced by guilt. He knew what Pinky had been about to do. The taller mouse was clearly just... confused. Or something. Though that thought didn't diminish his guilt in the slightest, actually making him feel a little worse in an entirely different way. "Don't cry, Pinky." Brain hesitated a moment before getting up to give his cagemate a hug. He rested his chin atop his head, sighing quietly. "It's alright."

Pinky hugged him back, hiding his face against Brain's chest. It was almost as good as a kiss, and it was warm and all encompassing. He took deep breaths to calm himself, inhaling his friend's scent with each one. At least he was still willing to hug him. But still... he had to know. "Brain?" he asked, muffled into his fur. "Have you ever wanted to... ummm... _zort_. Kiss someone? Like a true love's kiss?"

"Well..." Plenty of responses filled his mind, but they all just seemed... mean. And he didn't want to make Pinky cry more, particularly when it would just hurt his stomach. Brain gave Pinky a small nuzzle behind his ear. "Not exactly. True love kisses are just important things, Pinky. They require very special moments."

"Oh. Poit." His fingers curled and uncurled in the fur of Brain's back as he pondered that. It sort of made sense, after all, the true love kisses in the movies usually kept princesses from dying. Then they led to happily ever afters. "Wuh... well, what about regular kisses? Do they need special moments too?"

How to get out of this without hurting Pinky's feelings entirely? And perhaps to leave room for another attempt at this after he'd examined his reaction to the near-kiss more closely. "Regular kisses don't usually occur until after true love's first kiss. Unless you're making a mistake and not engaging in kisses with your true love."

"Oh, right. I had a mistake once. And it was definitely not a true love's kiss." Pinky nodded, moving his head so he could look up at Brain while still hugging him. It hadn't been a very pleasant kiss, even if it was his first, mostly because he didn't want to kiss Billie at all. It had been quite a surprise, but luckily he was able to run away back to Brain. He blinked up at him now, curiously. "Do you have a true love, Brain?"

Brain blushed slightly, preferring when he hadn't actually been able to see those lovely blue eyes. They were so... unusual. "Everyone does, Pinky."

"I know, but do you know who yours is yet?" he clarified. This was important to know, since he wanted to be Brain's true love and have a happily ever after with him.

"Well..." The megalomaniac averted his gaze, clearing his throat nervously before glancing back. "Possibly." The lights shut off and his knees went weak with relief. A break from this conversation was just what was needed. "The scientists are gone."

And they were all alone. In the dark. Together. His heart started doing funny things again, beating really fast. "_Narf._" He snuggled closer, wondering if now was the right time. Maybe, just maybe... "Brain...?"

He lifted his hands to Pinky's face, framing it gently as he leaned away. "I need to go and see if those notes were on you, Pinky. And then we need to put you through the scanner."

Disappointment filled him. "Oh... right. Okay, Brain." He moved back as well, turning his head away as he attempted to slide off the chair to his feet. His tummy felt a little better, but he would still be careful with it, especially when it felt so confused.

"You don't have to come with me just yet," Brain pointed out, but helped Pinky to his feet just the same. "I'll read the notes quickly, however, so you won't have to stand for long."

"But I want to see what they say," Pinky replied, keeping a hold of one of Brain's hands. "Can't I go to the computer with you?"

"Yes, Pinky, I suppose you can." Though he would've rather had some distance between them for a minute so he could get his bearings. "Just tell me if you start to hurt."

He nodded. "'Kay. I will. _Troz._" Hopefully the notes would tell him how to get rid of the alien so Brain would like him and want to kiss him.

Brain led him across the counter towards the computer, simply using his tail to pick the lock again. They hadn't been gone for any extended period of time in a while, so the scientists hadn't had any need to change their door out. "Now you just stand here, Pinky, and behave yourself."

"You can count on me, Brain!" Pinky saluted his friend then stood as straight and still as possible, even his tail alert. "_Narf!_"

"Don't stand so still that it starts to hurt," Brain grumbled, giving his stomach a pat before leaping onto the keys. The research notes were password protected, but the genius megalomaniac had them passed within seconds and scanned until he found the first photographs of Pinky.

The acronym they were attached to was clicked, opening up a fresh document. Brain got halfway through the objective at the top of the page before his ears were dropping, eyes going wide as saucers while his mouth hung open in stunned silence. He looked back at Pinky, blinked several times at his pink belly before returning his gaze to the notes. "This is impossible!"

Pinky blinked twice at him, then looked down at his own stomach, the black against pink suddenly seeming a lot more worrisome. "What is it?" he asked, placing his hands over his stomach, whether to hide it or keep whatever was in it inside was unknown to him. "The alien? I _told_ you it could happen, Brain! _Zort!_ Now it's going to pop out of me if I don't meet its demands! Oh, Brain, I don't even know what it wants!"

"It's not an alien, Pinky! Don't be ridiculous," Brain snapped and leapt off the keyboard. With a speed only reserved for emergencies, Brain was gone and back in the blink of an eye, a mouse-sized stethoscope around his neck. It wasn't an alien and it couldn't actually be true. "Let me check something," he ordered and put the things in his ears before resting the silver disc over Pinky's heart. He listened to the rapid pace, his own an echo of it, and then dropped the disc to the furless patch... and felt his heart jump into his throat. It just... couldn't be possible.

"That's cold!" He backed away, covering his stomach again. "Why are you looking for my heart in my tummy? Egad, the alien ate my heart, didn't it?" His breaths started coming faster. "Next it's gonna eat my liver and onions! Oh, save me, Brain!" Making to drop down on his knees, he winced as it hurt to bend over. "_Narf!_"

"Pinky, stop it!" Brain reached up and latched onto his shoulders, not to yank him down for once but to keep him upright. "It is _not_ an alien. I would tell you if it were. Your heart is just fine and remains uneaten." If a little too fast. Wasn't panicking bad in these sorts of situations? "Just stop it and relax, you imbecile."

Wide eyes stared hard at Brain, as if he didn't quite believe him, but he took a deep breath to calm down slightly. "Then what is it, Brain? Why did your eyes get all big and your ears all flippy-wippy?"

"Well, Pinky, I..." He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to think about this rationally. But it was rather difficult when this truly just couldn't be possible. "It would seem that the scientists have... Well, they've..." He tugged on his ears, letting them snap. It was impossible, but he'd heard that second heartbeat in his belly. He stared at it, frowning. "You're with... child, Pinky."

"Ummm... poit. No, I'm not. I'm with you." Pinky scratched the top of his head, frowning back at him, confused. "But does it really matter who I'm with at a time like this, Brain?"

He smacked a hand to his brow, rubbing for a moment before turning his gaze back onto Pinky's. "Pinky, you aren't just with me. The scientists..." He laid a hand on the furless patch. "There's... There isn't an alien in here. There's a baby."

"A baby?" Pinky blinked from his stomach to his friend and back. "But... but how did it get in there? I don't remember calling the stork. And I didn't do any of the mommy and daddy things to get one." Oh, he would've remembered if he'd done something like that. Or... at least he hoped so. "Brain, where did the baby come from?"

"The scientists put it in there, Pinky." Though he didn't know how or why just yet because he hadn't gotten very far at all in the notes. But even that wasn't the priority at the moment. Pinky's body wasn't supposed to be capable of carrying a baby to term. "Come, Pinky. I need to put you under the scanner to make certain you and... it are healthy."

Pinky nodded hesitantly, reaching out for Brain's hand. He trusted him, he'd figure out what was going on. "It is a mouse baby, right? My baby?" Oh, if it was his baby then it meant he was a mummy! Oh, that would be exciting! Much more happy and wonderful than an icky alien.

"Of course it's your baby, Pinky." His immune system would've killed it by now if it were otherwise, though Brain did wonder who the other genes had come from. Though this really was just astonishing. Pinky certainly didn't have the correct body parts to give birth, but that thought made him a little queasy, so he dropped that line and led Pinky towards his machine.

"My baby..." Pinky awed quietly, patting his stomach with new fondness. "My baby! I'm gonna be a mummy, Brain!" They were going to get to be parents again! It had been so much fun raising Romy, well, until he ran away, but now they got to do it all over again!

"Yes, Pinky, I'm well aware." And still trying to come to terms with it. This would put _such_ a kink in their world domination schemes. They didn't have the time to raise a baby. They'd hardly had time to raise Roman. He removed the sheet from the machine and dragged it away from the wall. "Here now. I'll help you sit in this chair."

Getting as comfortable as he could in the chair, he gave his tummy a reassuring rub and looked up at Brain. "Will it hurt?"

"Of course it won't hurt." Brain was rather wary of touching his stomach now, but gave it a comforting pat just the same. "It's just going to take pictures of your insides so I can see what was done to make room for a baby."

He smiled at him, even more pleased that he wasn't rubbing just him anymore, but their baby too. Their baby, it sounded even better than 'my baby' did! Oh, he was a mommy and Brain was a daddy again! Pinky giggled to himself and sat back, prepared for whatever the machine thingy was going to do.

"Now close your eyes and stay perfectly still, Pinky. It may be a little bright." Brain went to the little control panel and began hitting buttons, the machine whirring to life. A bright light hovered over Pinky and slowly grew brighter as another mechanism worked to use the light to take pictures. An improvement on typical imaging technology, in his opinion. No potentially harmful exposure to anything.

As the photographs began to show on the little monitor, Brain's ears fell once again. That wasn't a newly formed embryo. Pinky was somehow around two weeks along already. He hadn't been with child that long. Satisfied with the number and planning to go through them more thoroughly soon, Brain began shutting down the machine and saving the pictures to transfer to a computer. "Alright, Pinky, you can open your eyes again. I'm all finished."

Opening one eye first, then the other, Pinky started to look around excitedly. "Can I see the pictures, Brain? What does our baby look like? Is it a boy or girl? _Troz._ Oh, I'm so excited!"

He hadn't checked on any of that, focused more on the development than the actual gender. And on just how they'd adjusted Pinky's organs in order to give him a womb. At least it all seemed to be in working order. "You can see them when I put them on the computer, Pinky." He withdrew a small usb drive from the side of the machine and went to his cagemate to help him out of the chair. But then he blinked, giving him a rather surprised look. "Our baby?"

Pinky simply beamed at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "Of course, Brain. Who else's baby would I have?" His other hand went to stroke his tummy again, not even frightened by the black zipper anymore.

Brain didn't have any sort of response to that, so simply led Pinky to the computer and inserted the driver into the usb port to open up the pictures. "These are going to look a little strange, Pinky, but you're much further along in the pregnancy than I would've thought. You should have it in..." He swallowed, a little nervous about it now that it was beginning to sink in. "Two weeks time."

"Two weeks? Poit. Is that like tomorrow? Or three tomorrows?" he asked while looking up at the screen. His eyes narrowed slightly. It didn't look like a mouse baby. It looked more like an alien... "That alien better not try and hurt the baby," he warned, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"Pinky, that _is_ the baby. All developing mice look like that at this stage. Do you see this?" He ran the mouse along a slim, curvy thing that was coiled around the small frame. "This is... Her tail," he realized. "You're having a girl, Pinky."

While he only doubted even more that it was a mouse and not an alien, hearing the gender distracted him well enough. Gasping softly, Pinky clasped his hands together. "A girl? A little girl all our own? Oh, Brain!" His first instinct was to sweep him up in a flying hug, but quickly realizing that was impossible with the pain that would cause, he reached out for a normal hug.

Blushing lightly, Brain allowed the hug. It was even stranger now than it had been to feel that bare skin against him instead of warm fur since he knew what was beneath it now. A baby girl. Oh, dear. He withdrew enough to rest his hand on his tummy and had to clear his throat. "I'm going to finish looking at these, Pinky. Just to make sure you're both healthy."

"'Kay!" Pinky released him, but remained close at his side. "Can the baby get sick when she's still in my tummy?"

"Yes, but it's unlikely to occur unless you're sick first." Brain went through the pictures, scanning them carefully to make sure nothing within his friend was twisted or in any sort of danger of becoming so. But he was very relieved to find that the scientists hadn't done this as haphazardly as they were prone to do other things. It seemed that they actually wanted this to work and, since his closest friend was involved and wanted the baby without question, Brain wanted it to work as well.

Nodding to himself, he closed the photographs and went about saving the notes to his drive as well. He could read them on his smaller computer while they watched their movie together. Pinky had clearly been standing far too long. "I'm finished for now, Pinky. Let's go and get you settled in for a movie."

Pinky's knees were starting to hurt, and his tummy as a result of that. He wasn't so queasy anymore, just sore and pinchy like before. He leaned a little against Brain and nodded. "'Kay... you can pick the movie, Brain. Any of the cartoon ones you want!" Since he had said they would watch a cartoon one.

"Alright." He hesitated a moment before resting his hand on Pinky's belly, rubbing gently as they began to walk towards the television. "This is why you need to lie down so much, Pinky. It's not because I'm being mean to you; it's because I simply don't want you to hurt. Understand?"

"I do, Brain. Sorry I was so cranky earlier." He leaned his head down a bit to nudge Brain's ear apologetically. "You're my bestest best friend in the whole world, poit, I know you wouldn't do mean things on purpose."

"Yes, well, I suppose moodiness is to be expected." And the way Pinky could go from distressed to delighted at the drop of a hat was something he was already used to. "Just try and remember it as the days go." He stopped by the television set, giving his belly a pat. "Just stay here and I'll go get you the chair again."

"Are you sure, Brain? I could go get the movie while you get the chair," he offered. It felt so strange to see the megalomaniac retrieving things for him rather than the other way around like he was used to. He felt like he should be helping, even if it was in a small way. "Which one would you like?"

Brain frowned, crossing his arms as he considered. "Fine, but don't pick it up if it puts a strain on your stomach. Get the one where those two mice are in Australia, whatever it is." He'd never paid much attention to it, but it was always pleasant to see films starring their species.

Pinky beamed, clapping his hands together. "Excellent choice, Brain! _Zort! _ And don't worry, I won't do anything if it hurts." He shook his head vehemently as if that would make a difference. "Promise."

"Good. It's better for you and for the child if you put as little strain on yourself as possible." Brain gave a firm nod before turning away, pausing only a moment as he realized just what he'd said. Pinky was pregnant and their world domination schemes were on hold for the foreseeable future. It was like something out a very bad nightmare. Particularly since the genes of the other parent were bound to be subpar.

Sighing heavily, Brain quickly made his way to their cage to get the chair, pillows, and blanket for his cagemate. The only saving grace of this situation was that he knew Pinky would make a decent enough mother. He'd done well with Roman, considering. The only problem would be when Pinky inevitably got bored with the duties of child-rearing. This child wouldn't be quick to develop like Roman had, so the responsibilities would probably fall to him when he was tired of it. Certainly the child's education would fall to him, assuming the child would even be capable of learning properly.

What if he had _two_ Pinky's to deal with? As he set up the chair for his friend, the idea made him a little dizzy. He'd never take over the world with two. One was difficult enough to deal with and it would be a girl. He and Pinky didn't know anything about raising a girl, no matter how often Pinky dressed as one. He'd have to read up on the subject. It couldn't be overly different from raising a boy. He hoped.

While he couldn't pick it up without hurting, Pinky did manage to nudge "The Rescuers Down Under" across the counter to the TV. It was a video tape, but they only had a VCR in their part of the lab, and Pinky liked the big spinny tapes anyway. He hummed to himself as he used his foot to push it along. Oh, it was wonderful that Brain was going to watch with him, movies were so much better when you watched them with a special someone. Maybe Brain would let him hold his hand during the movie, because this was such a lovely, romantic movie. The two mice got married at the end of it! Very happy indeed!

Pinky had to stop and lean against the tape halfway there. It was heavier than he'd thought it would be. Clearly he was getting out of shape from not running on his wheel. Hopefully he could start to do that again before the baby came. Oh, the baby! He and Brain would have to think of names. Pretty girl names for a pretty girl! And make up a corner of the cage for her and get her toys and food and important baby things. "Naaaaaaarf," he sighed dreamily, smiling down at the cover of the video. He hadn't ever told Brain, but he missed having a baby mouse once Romy had grown up and left. Oh, they'd have to tell Romy he was going to be a big brother!

He tried pushing the video again, still going slowly so he wouldn't hurt the baby. It wouldn't be good if he didn't start taking care of their child right from the get-go. Especially since she already had to deal with that grumpy ol' alien.

Brain pushed over his little laptop and went to get that drive with the notes and the photographs, pausing on the way back when he noticed Pinky pushing the video across the counter. Sighing, he made his way to his friend and held out the drive. "Here, Pinky. This is light enough that you should be able to carry it just fine."

"Ooooh, what is this magic stick, Brain?" He took hold of it and examined closely, letting Brain take the movie.

"It has the photographs on it, Pinky, as well as the notes. I'm going to read them while we watch the movie." The megalomaniac gave Pinky's belly a careful rub before picking up the videotape, holding it over his head as he walked. "Do you hurt any?"

Pinky was hugging the drive close. Oh, their baby was on here! Baby baby baby! He blinked over at Brain when he heard the question. "Only a little. _Troz._ From standing." Practicing cradling on the usb, Pinky followed him to the TV.

Brain pushed the tape into the VCR and let the previews play, taking the drive from Pinky with a small shake of his head. It was incredible how news of a baby had so completely changed his attitude about all of this. "Come, Pinky, time to sit."

"That's the baby, Brain." He smiled and pet the drive before Brain took it away. Walking over to the chair, he was surprised to find that he was actually looking forward to lying down. Funny, considering he couldn't stand it earlier. "Are you gonna sit too?" he asked as he carefully lowered himself. He could make room on the beach chair for them both.

"I'll sit on the floor beside you, Pinky." He plugged the usb into his laptop and went to Pinky to make sure he was comfortable. Resting both hands on his stomach, Brain kneaded gently and frowned at his companion. He was too used to touching this way already, knowledge of the baby within not enough to wipe out the instinctive physical contact. "Better?"

Practically purring, Pinky stretched as much as he comfortably could. "Mmhm," he nodded, his tummy bubbling with happy feelings under his friend's hands. He smiled at Brain gratefully, brushing his fingers against his arm. "Naaaaarf."

Rolling his eyes, Brain started to lean forward to touch their noses together. But he stopped abruptly when he realized what he was doing and ended up hovering awkwardly over Pinky, color slowly filling his cheeks. _Affection_ was clearly a detrimental side effect to actually having to take care of his usually effervescent and boppable companion.

Pinky couldn't help flushing too. Brain had just stopped. While he usually got all close and in his face, it was to grab his nose or ear and get his attention. Well, he certainly had his attention now... but he wasn't grabbing. Did he want to kiss now? Was this their true love's kiss right now? Egad, he wasn't ready! Or he was, just, he hadn't had time to prepare or think about it! Though... this probably counted as thinking about it. His tongue darted out to wet his suddenly very dry lips and his heart went pitter-patter really fast. "Brain...?" Did one ask before they kissed? Were there rules to this sort of thing?

Watching his tongue, Brain felt stirrings at more than just his heart and had to swallow nervously. This was... quite a bit worse than mere affection, and just standing there staring was beginning to make him feel foolish. Taking a deep breath, he bumped their noses together, holding himself still for a moment to gauge his own reaction. It felt... It felt very right, which was uncomfortable in how baffling it was. He straightened again when he heard the familiar opening music for this company and glanced back at the blue castle before looking Pinky's way again and clearing his throat. "Well... Just watch the movie, Pinky. I have reading to do."

Blue eyes blinked curiously. Oh, he'd liked how their noses touched, very much so, but it wasn't the kiss he'd been expecting. "R-right, Brain." He nodded, his voice sounding a little funny. Taking one of the pillows he'd been given, he handed it to his companion. "You be comfy too. _Troz._" Then so Brain couldn't force it back on him, he snuggled under the blanket and tucked himself all in, gaze going right to the screen.

Brain looked from the pillow to Pinky, giving up on waiting for his heart to steady. It wasn't going to manage that when his companion was doing sweet things. So he sat on the cushion and pulled his laptop closer, using a tiny wireless mouse to bring up and scroll through the notes. When one of Pinky's hands poked out of the blanket, he reached up to push it back under and ended up just holding it when his attention was grabbed by information that pointed to just why Pinky had been selected for this experiment. A feminine cell structure - that explained a lot.

Just as Pinky had been identifying with poor Bernard, who'd been trying so hard to propose to the lovely Miss Bianca, he felt Brain's hand on his. It was enough to distract him from the movie, enough for him to be content with watching Brain read for a moment. He was a mind-reader, he had to be! Pinky smiled brightly to himself and turned his gaze back to the film just in time to see the mice go to visit Wilbur the albatross. Oh, wouldn't it be lovely if he and Brain had a bird friend to fly them places for his plan thingies? He gave his friend's hand a squeeze and quickly became enamored with the film.

At the squeeze, the megalomaniac looked up and realized that they were holding hands. Vaguely wondering when that had occurred, he decided that it wasn't worth ending the contact. He glanced up at the screen and his ears went flat when he saw them riding a bird. That would be absolutely terrifying. They hardly had any protection from the elements.

Shaking his head, he went back to reading and his thumb absently caressed the back of his friend's hand while he read the description of his surgery. They'd done so much to him that it was a wonder he wasn't hurting _more_. Though the megalomaniac was willing to bet that it was thanks to their splicing that he wasn't suffering. Pinky had received quite the pain threshold, after all.

When he reached the section on the other father - because this entire experiment was to try and show that two males could conceive - his ears perked and he leaned forward. This would help him know what to expect as the child developed. But his ears steadily fell and his grip slowly tightened on Pinky's hand as he reviewed this section and discovered just who the scientists had selected.

At first he didn't notice Brain's grip change, but when it got to be almost painful, Pinky had to tear his gaze from the Australian scenery to get his droopy-eared friend's attention. "Brain? Brain, you're squeezing too hard," he whispered over at him, moving his hand up and down.

"What?" He looked up, blinked several times at him before looking at their hands and releasing him. "Oh. I... Oh." He stood up and laid both of his hands on Pinky's belly, a little awestruck. "Egad, Pinky..."

Pinky looked from his tummy to Brain's face and back. Brain didn't say 'egad' over just anything, so the movie could wait. "What is it, Brain? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's necessarily wrong, Pinky." Brain looked up at him, rather stunned by this new information. It did bring light to an absolutely mortifying experience with the scientists a few weeks prior, but it was still extremely difficult to believe that the humans would've put some _thought_ into this. "The baby's... mine. It's mine too. It's ours."

Blue eyes blinked for a moment. "I know, Brain. I already told you that. Poit. I wouldn't have a baby with anyone else." He offered Brain a placating smile and gave him a pat on the head. "You startled me! I thought it was something surprising!"

Brain shook his head, giving him a mild glare. "Pinky, the scientists created this child. Any of the other mice could've been the other parent, but she's mine. Biologically mine like Roman." Like Roman. Wonderful. He already knew what to expect with these genes, though there was room for alteration. But it was like a weight off his shoulders. Brain knew what to expect here and, well... He was looking forward to it more. _Their_ child.

"I know, Brain. I'm not stupid, I know who the daddy is and I knew it before too." Pinky nodded firmly. He could tell, their baby had to be a smarty and brave like Brain if she had to live with an alien. "Didn't you want it to be yours? Ours? _Narf._"

He hadn't even considered it being his. Brain looked down at his belly, massaging gently. Though, really, it wouldn't have mattered who the other biological parent was; Brain still would've taken care of it. So, in a way... hadn't he wanted it to be his? Brain turned his gaze back to Pinky's and gave a small nod. "Yes, Pinky, I did. I'm... glad that it's mine. There's no one else I would have a child with."

Beaming, Pinky reached out for a hug. "We're gonna be parents again, Brain! And she's gonna be the best baby ever, just like Romy was!"

Since Brain knew he would hurt himself if he had to lean forward, he sighed and made himself stop touching the belly their child currently resided in in order to wrap his arms around Pinky. "She'll be different from Roman, Pinky. She won't grow up nearly as fast."

"Oh, good! I don't want to say goodbye after a day." Pinky nuzzled into Brain's shoulder, hugging him back. "I want to keep her for always." But first she had to get here. Oh, he hoped it would be soon! He had no idea how long two weeks would take.

"All children grow and leave eventually," Brain murmured, sighing. "But it'll be months, possibly even up to a year, before she goes. Unless, of course, we take over the world in that time. Then she'll have no reason to leave." And Roman would come back and live with them. If Brain could convince him to.

"Oh, we will, Brain. _Troz._ That's an awfully long time, I'm sure you can come up with the perfect plan thingy in a year!" he assured him. If anyone could do it, Brain could! He had the utmost faith in him. It was his destiny. Pinky glanced up at the screen. He hoped Brain felt better so they could watch the rest of the movie. He didn't want to miss the best part. "Want to sit with me and watch the movie now, Brain? Are you done reading all the squiggly lines?"

"I'm done for now, yes." He didn't think he could handle any more surprises. He knew everything he needed to know anyway. On the twenty-ninth day, the scientists were going to remove the baby and deposit them back into the cage to see if Pinky had maternal instincts as they were hoping. Brain knew very well that Pinky did, and with the scientists leaving their cage dark and untouched for a few days, it would be perfect for all of them.

Brain released Pinky and moved over to his laptop to close out of everything and shut the lid. He scooted the pillow a little closer to the side of his friend's chair and sat atop it, lifting a hand to rub his brow. A baby in two weeks. He had a lot of things to prepare.

"No, Brain, with me," Pinky corrected, lifting the blanket and trying to move to the side more. "It's no fun to be on the floor all by yourself."

"Pinky, it's fine. You need the chair far more than I do."

"Poit." Pinky cuddled under the blanket again, but reached an arm out to find Brain's hand. "Are you sure? I don't mind sharing."

Frowning, Brain reached up and took a hold of his hand as a compromise. If this kept him from insisting that Brain join him, it was acceptable. "It's fine, Pinky. You're having a baby soon and your stitches still need to heal. I can tolerate sitting on the floor if it means not accidentally injuring you."

"'Kay." Letting it rest at that, the taller mouse turned his attention back to the movie. Though he couldn't help hoping that it didn't mean Brain would stop sharing other things with him, like their bed. He might try to separate it, they'd tried having separate beds once, but it didn't work out so well. Giving their hands a squeeze, he gasped as the mean hunter man found out where the pretty golden eagle was with the magic feathers. They seemed pretty magical because they never got messed up or anything and stayed shiny the whole time.

Brain had absolutely no idea what was going on, but quickly deduced who was good and who wasn't by the lighting style and the musical score. These animated things were dreadfully predictable, after all. He was soon regretting closing his laptop. A game of solitaire would be more fascinating than... Oh, the two mice characters were in love. He hadn't been aware of that. He flicked his gaze up at Pinky, a light pink dusting his cheeks. No wonder his companion was so interested in romantic things if everyone in these films he so enjoyed was in love.

Even though Pinky knew the ending, he always worried for Miss Bianca and Bernard, that they wouldn't end up together at the end. Or that the mean ol' iguana thingy would eat the eagle eggs. Or anybody's eggs really. Who would want to eat poor, little babies? He patted his tummy, as if to reassure the baby that he'd never let something try to to eat her. Egad, he was getting tired again! But it was the good part, and why did he have to be so sleepy all the time? Maybe it was part of the alien's plan. Always one step ahead of him, that sneaky, slimy thing...

His eyelids got heavy as the two mice were separated from each other, the chubby boy mouse all alone in Austria. Or was it Africa? It kinda looked like the Lion King background. Sort of. Hmm. Chubby, just like Brain. Oh, he hoped that meant he got to be like Miss Bianca. She was really pretty.

When Pinky's grip on his hand went lax and his breathing steadied, Brain rose and turned off the movie, setting it to rewind for the next viewing. He turned back to Pinky, folding his arms as he debated with himself about how to get Pinky to bed. But he finally decided that there was little need to awaken his friend. He needed all the sleep he could get while his body adjusted to all that had happened to it.

With a small frown, Brain rubbed his hands together and did what he absolutely never did unless Pinky gave him no choice: he picked him up. He quickly got his cagemate settled in bed, tucking a pillow beneath his head before giving into the silly urge to stroke his cheeks and his brow, ruffle the tuft of messy fur atop his head. He was an absolute mess and Brain really needed to stop feeling as though he were more than just a friend.

Maybe after the baby was born and the hormones Pinky had been given faded, they could get back to normal. Though he couldn't help the nagging voice that reminded him the stirrings around his heart had been happening before the pregnancy. Sighing, he touched their noses together briefly before leaving the cage to put everything away. He'd be glad when his companion was back to normal so he didn't have to move so many things. So much work wasn't befitting future ruler of the world.

Keeping his eyes shut, Pinky reached out to pat the other side of the bed, frowning slightly when he realized it was still empty. He'd woken up a little when it had gotten quiet all of a sudden, not enough to want to open his eyes, however, especially when he felt Brain lift him up. In his sleepy state he was torn between pretending to stay asleep so he could enjoy being carried and telling Brain it was okay and that he could walk, since he felt a little bad that he had to go through all this work. But when he wasn't launching himself into Brain's arms, catching him off balance, the smaller mouse could easily lift him. He had very nice upper body strength to make up for his little legs. And to be carried all the way to bed, he figured it didn't hurt to relish the warmth his cagemate provided.

Then he'd been pet so nicely. Oh, Brain was being so extra affectionate, it made his heart feel near to bursting. But now he'd gone away and he wanted him back. "Brain?" he called out tiredly, trying to force his eyes open, but he just didn't want to. He wanted to cuddle and his friend wasn't there to cuddle with. He sniffled, getting sad on top of the lonely, and called out again, softer and full of emotion.

Brain made his way back to the cage, storing the drive in his sardine tin. He was extremely surprised to hear him sniffling. "Pinky?" He made his way towards his friend and slipped into his side of the bed, reaching out and laying a hand on his belly. "Pinky, what's wrong?"

Pinky scooted closer, nudging his head in the direction of Brain's voice. "Don't go away," he pleaded miserably, and though he was comforted by the hand on his tummy, the despairing emotion was hard to shake. Fear gripped him from nowhere, forcing out tears from behind closed eyes as his breath quickened. "Please don't leave me alone."

Surprised, not at all used to this sort of emotion from his friend, Brain pressed himself closer. "Shh, Pinky, don't cry. I'm right here. You're not alone." The megalomaniac massaged his stomach soothingly, lifting his other hand to pet his cagemate's ear. He pressed their foreheads together, rubbing gently. "Don't cry."

With a whimper, Pinky nuzzled back and wound his arms around Brain's back, holding just enough so that he wouldn't go anywhere. "I don't want to be alone," he whispered, gradually calming the heaves of his chest as a few more tears trickled down his cheeks. "I want to be with you, Brain."

"You are with me, Pinky. You're always with me." Brain pressed a gentle kiss to his brow, wondering just what could've triggered this. "You're not alone, my dear Pinky."

He sniffled one last time and snuggled close, sighing at the soft kiss. "I love you, Brain," Pinky murmured, hugging him close as he started to drift off again, content that Brain was by his side. His tail curled around them both, resting over his tummy and Brain's hip.

Brain didn't at all know what to do with that declaration, particularly since his heart began hammering painfully in his chest. Pinky... Pinky loved him? For the second time that night "egad" escaped, though it was a stunned whisper. First a baby and now... He pressed their foreheads together again and closed his eyes, ready to will himself to sleep so he wouldn't have to think about it any longer. "Goodnight, Pinky."

"G'night, Brain..." he replied automatically, because goodnights were very important after all.

* * *

I'm finding that each chapter we update with this story becomes my new favorite xDDDD

So we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is we named our nickel Phillip. The bad news? It's a GIRL nickel! Sorry, that just popped into my head since we have discovered that Pinky's carrying a girl. Yeah, no correlation at all, I know. But hey, I'm the Pinky of this relationship for good reason. And they're getting all romantic and cute with each other now! Awwwww! Brain and Pinky, that is. Not Pinky and the nickel. Just in case anyone was con-fused.

Don't you just love cranky!Pinky and doting!Brain though? I can't get enough of them lol.


	6. Chapter 6

The stitches were finally healed enough that Pinky could walk on his own, but Brain was still wary, still grabbing his hand when they went anywhere, still staying close. He was starting to feel itchy, though, plans filling his mind. But world domination wasn't very likely when Pinky was in such a fragile state.

An emotional roller coaster of a fragile state, anyway. Bored one minute, giggling the next. Falling asleep one minute, wanting to run the next. It was driving Brain crazy, fraying his already short rope of patience. Being unable to take over the world was just exacerbating the issue and he'd had to stop himself more than once from grabbing his cagemate's nose and jerking him down to deliver some reprimand.

But he didn't want Pinky bending over, his belly beginning to swell courtesy of the baby. The scientists were looking in on them more and more, too, and Brain was developing a very bad, instinctive habit of growling at them when they leaned too close. It was mortifying and over-protective and he couldn't stand what this pregnancy was turning him into: an instinct-driven... animal. It was as if Pinky was exuding hormones that made him do it. He couldn't get close anymore without touching him in some fashion and keeping the contact until they were separated.

Attention on his log disrupted by a scientist leaning in too close, this one reaching out with his pencil as if to prod Pinky's swollen belly through the cage bars, the small mouse scrambled over and got directly in front of his cagemate, fur bristling and growl rumbling until he leaned away again and scribbled notes. Scowling, Brain rubbed his hands over his face.

"My hero!" Pinky hugged him from behind, tail wagging at a frantic pace. It was one of his up moments. A very big up. He nuzzled the bristly fur and giggled to himself. Oh, Brain was being such a good daddy! He'd been taking care of them so well, keeping those mean ol' scientists from communicating with the alien. "_Narf!_"

Brain looked over his shoulder, sighing and brushing his fur back down to normal. This really needed to stop. "Yes, yes. I would just prefer it if they stayed away." And stopped calling him 'Father B.' That was an annoyance all its own.

Without hesitation, Pinky began to help groom him. It was something he hadn't tried to do since they were small after many disapproving glares and bops to the head, but like the emotion rollercoaster he'd been riding, it just happened. He used his hands to smooth his sides down while his tongue laved along the back of his ear. It hit him mid-lick what it was exactly that he was doing and he froze, considering it. Well, he was fine with it, but that wasn't the problem.

Brain swallowed uncomfortably when the grooming stopped, his ear twitching back for more of the surprising new attention. He would normally have told him to stop, glared at him and possibly thrown in a bop. But the previous day he'd told Pinky to stop hugging him and had spent the next hour consoling him and dealing with tears... Brain really didn't want to deal with that again and it felt so nice. "You may... continue. If you like," he said quietly.

To ask 'really, Brain?' would require him to move his tongue back it, and well... he wouldn't have said to continue if he didn't mean it. So Pinky lapped at his ear, watching it twitch with interest, then moved on to the second one so it wouldn't feel left out as he straightened the rest of Brain's fur with his hands, running his fingers up and down his spine. To keep from overwhelming his friend, he left it at that. "Thank you, Brain." He wrapped him up in another hug.

Well, he'd succeeded in keeping Pinky in a good mood. But there seemed to be permanent color in his cheeks as he looked back and blinked at those shining blue eyes. "There's... no reason to thank me, Pinky. You're the one who did something for me." Even though it was embarrassing and he felt... tingly, for lack of a better word.

"Oh, but you deserved it! You're being so extra wonderful even though I know you're cranky from not getting to take over the world," Pinky replied, moving so he could sit in front of Brain and see his rosy-red cheeks while holding his hands. "That's why I'm thanking you! _Zort!_"

"Yes, well, you require the attention more than the world does at the moment." Which was far easier to say now that he was looking directly at Pinky, and less of an irritation as it had been when he'd been writing in his log. He released one of Pinky's hands to massage his belly. His fur was starting to grow back, so it was bristly, but Brain still couldn't resist. Their baby was in there. "How are you feeling, my dear?" Which was another thing that needed to stop. The little petname was coming out entirely too easily.

Pinky purred at the attention, leaning back a little to press his tummy against Brain's palm. "Just lovely," he sighed, tail swishing behind him. "Much better than yesterday! Poit. Does that mean the baby's coming soon?" It felt like he'd been waiting for ages! The alien was probably holding her ransom and was starting to ask for really weird food like spaghetti and meatballs. Who ate spaghetti with meatballs? Now, spaghetti and fried wontons, that made sense! But still, the alien demanded, though Pinky kept quiet about it since Brain kept telling him there was no alien.

"No, Pinky, it's only been one week. I told you it would take two." Better than yesterday was good. Hopefully that meant no crying jags and no arguing at bedtime... while his eyes were closed. Leaving his hands on Pinky's swollen belly, he leaned forward and touched his nose to his companion's brow, checking for a fever. His mind kept playing worst-case scenarios in his mind and just because he hadn't gotten one yet didn't mean he wouldn't get one. When this was over, he was absolutely never letting the scientists separate them again.

Oh, he loved nose kisses. Well, that's what he'd been calling them. He wanted real kisses, but those only happened when Brain thought he was asleep. And only on his forehead. But that was still okay. Any affection from his cagemate was more than welcome! He soaked it all up like a happy, smiling sponge. Toying with the fur of Brain's chest, Pinky's gaze suddenly narrowed. What...? He looked down at his stomach and stared. Had something...? No, it couldn't have. Brain said not for another week. He was just being silly.

Brain leaned back, satisfied that there wasn't a fever, and gave Pinky's cheek a fond pat. His hand stayed on his face, though, when he noted the diverted attention. "What is it, Pinky?"

There it was again! No, no, no, he was not being silly! Something was moving! Pinky leaned back so far in his startled state he fell over onto his back with a yelp. That hurt more than usual, but everything hurt more than usual these days. He didn't have time to focus on that though, not with bigger problems on his hands. "Brain! Brain! Egad! It's the alien! Oh, Brain, help!" He wrapped his arms around his belly as if it would keep whatever was inside inside, nearly hyperventilating. "It's mad because I didn't feed it what it wants and now it's eating our baby!"

Brain's first, terrified thought was that he'd somehow gone into early labor. He grabbed Pinky's hands to pull them away. "Pinky! Pinky, stop it. Let me check and see." There wasn't any alien, but with his cagemate panicking so much, their baby could suffer from that. "Calm down!"

"But Brain!" he wailed, squirming to try and cover his tummy again. "Brain, it's moving! It's moving and it's gonna kill our baby," Pinky broke off on a sob, clinging to his cagemate as best as he could flat on his back.

"Pinky!" Brain snapped. "There is no alien! You're just-" Breaking off, Brain stared down at his hand. And there it was again, a little bump, a little kick. His ears perked and a small smile crossed his features, despite his friend's idiocy. "Pinky, the baby's moving." He rested both hands on his belly, even his tail perking up as he followed the motions.

Pinky's crying diminished into sniffling when he realized Brain had gone quiet. The baby was moving. How could the baby be moving when she didn't have anywhere to go? She didn't even have legs yet, she was just a tummy. But he caught his breath and blinked up at Brain, in awe of how quietly happy he was. From his ears to his tail. "Poit?" Pinky tugged on the fur of his friend's chest for attention, what was so happy about their child being eaten?

"Pinky, babies are supposed to move. It means she's healthy and just as bored with being stuck as you are. It's no alien, you idiot." Brain looked up, leaning forward to touch their noses together. "She's just saying hi. Feel." He took a hold of one of his wrists, laying his palm down over his belly. "It's just the baby, I promise."

At first he didn't want to, it was scary enough feeling it with his tummy, but by keeping his gaze on Brain it made him feel braver and decided to give it a try. Brain was the world's biggest smarty, if he said it was just their daughter saying hi, then that must be what it was. He felt the light bump, jumped a little, but then followed it to feel another. "Naaaaaaaarf," he exhaled softly, breaking eye contact with Brain to look down at his belly. "Hi, baby."

Brain shifted to get beside Pinky, kneeling down. He smiled again, amazed to feel the movements. He'd known logically that there was a baby in there, had seen photographs of it with his scanner and watched over the past week as his friend had gotten wider. But to actually feel her was simply astounding. "Oh, Pinky," he murmured, covering his companion's hands with his own. She was a rather strong kicker, clearly as bouncy as her "mother" already. The megalomaniac looked back up, a very rare sense of simple joy written over his features. "You're doing a wonderful job carrying her, my dear. Our baby's going to be beautiful."

"Really, Brain?" Blue eyes rose from his stomach to gaze into pink ones, astounded by the joy he found. He beamed brightly, happy tears sparkling in his eyes. "Our baby's gonna be the best baby 'cause she's got both of us in her. _Troz._" Rubbing his hand over where she rested, careful not the move Brain's from his own as he swapped their positions, his gaze flicked down. "Say hi to daddy, baby."

"Pinky, she- Oh." He'd been about to tell him that babies didn't listen like that, but she'd kicked. Brain pressed himself closer to his cagemate, gazing down. He gave a small rub and, though telling Pinky she was saying hi had just been to calm him down, the idea now made his heart swell. "Hello, baby," he murmured and gave small caress, feeling another little bump beneath his palm.

"She likes you, Brain," Pinky giggled softly, more movements delighting him. Oh, it wasn't scary at all when it was their baby talking to them. He watched Brain watch his tummy, suddenly overwhelmed with a wave of love. He'd never felt so much at once. But looking at his family, his most special person and their baby, pumped his heart so full of everything, he didn't know what to do with it. His mouth fell open but no words came as he felt his face get hot and tingly. He couldn't interrupt the moment, especially when he didn't even know what he wanted or needed to do with these feelings.

"Of course she does, Pinky." Brain looked over, nose bumping against Pinky's because they'd gotten so close together, and his breath caught. They were so close and Pinky's eyes were so big and full of emotions that normally terrified the megalomaniac. But he was feeling them too, his heart picking up its pace at that realization. He was feeling them too. "Pinky," he whispered and brushed their lips together. Soft and brief and warm - it wasn't quite enough, so he did it again. And then again, one of his hands leaving his belly to rest on his cheek.

On the third one, Pinky kissed back, winding his arm around Brain's waist. He pressed his lips against Brain's firmly, pouring as much of his love into it as he could. Oh, they were kissing... they were kissing! Their true love's first kiss! Oh, they were in love! In love and having a baby! His hormones flared and he tried to pull Brain closer, peppering eager kisses on his lips. "Brain, I love you. I do."

"Pinky," Brain cooed, mind ensnared by how strong his scent had gotten. He felt the words in his heart anyway, but that instinctive pull had them rolling out. "I love you too." He brought him into another kiss, deepening this one, lapping warmly at his lips.

They parted for him and he fit his mouth snuggly against Brain's, humming with approval as their tongues met. His pulse raced, and he got a kick in the stomach in response. He lowered his hand to stroke his tummy, slowing the intensity of the kiss in an attempt to lower his heart rate.

Brain kept the kiss languid and almost lazy, exploring every inch of Pinky's mouth until he remembered that the taller mouse was breathing for two. He leaned back, one of his hands slipping back down to the swollen belly, eyes that had closed during the kiss fluttering open. "Egad, Pinky," he whispered.

"Brain," Pinky exhaled, trying to catch his breath as he gazed up at him with lovestruck eyes. "You're a really good kisser. _ Narf._" He was all a-tingle from his head to his toes. "That was a true love's first kiss, right? Even though there was more than one?" Reaching up, he stroked one of Brain's ears, the dopey-in-love grin still on his face.

Ear twitching, Brain couldn't help but press their noses together. If he answered in the affirmative, there was no going back. If he did in the negative, he'd have a very distressed pregnant mouse on his hands. And he'd be lying. "It was, Pinky. It still counts."

"Oh, good," he breathed, sighing with relief and rubbing his nose against Brain's. "I was hoping and wishing that you were my true love. Poit." He gave his belly a pat. "So was the baby." Well, he didn't know for sure, but it had certainly felt like she was rooting for him.

"Good for you and the baby, then." And for himself. Sitting back, Brain rested both hands on Pinky's stomach. One more week and she'd be out. The thought was less terrifying than it had been earlier.

Pinky tilted his head to the side. "And you too?"

Brain looked down, massaging Pinky's belly carefully. "And me too, yes."

Practically glowing from all the love he was feeling, Pinky reached up for the smaller mouse. "I want another kiss, please," he requested, only to hear his actual tummy rumble and new food requests pop up in his head. "And a donut, apparently." He scrunched up his face as he thought. "Brain, if there's no alien in my tummy, then who wants the strange food all the time? Is it baby?"

"Yes, it's the baby." Brain reached out and helped Pinky sit up, giving him another kiss since he'd said please. "I'll get you a donut when the lab closes. And tomorrow we'll have the building to ourselves, so we won't have to deal with any scientists. You can settle the baby's cravings immediately."

"_Narf!_" Pinky smiled against the kiss, even as he stretched his back out from sitting up. Oh, lower back pain, egad, the baby didn't feel that heavy. He reached back and rubbed above his tail. "Good. I don't like when the scientists get all pokey and proddy, Brain. What if they pop my tummy like a big balloon? Where will the baby grow and get her donuts and spaghetti from?"

She wouldn't be able to. Mouse babies were fragile enough without arriving a week early. Brain rubbed his noses together, deciding that he would need to review this later. It was proving to be entirely too easy to fall into a romantic context with his friend. "Don't fret, Pinky. I'm keeping you and our baby safe. They won't be able to pop you."

"'Kay. I trust you, Brain," he replied honestly, brushing their lips together again because the urge was there. There was movement out of the corner of his eye and he looked up, right into the eyes of a scientist. "Voyagers!" he whispered and pointed, gaze accusing and narrowed, wrapping his other arm around Brain's waist.

It was one of the female scientists. They weren't usually as bad about poking and prodding at his cagemate, but they were worse at staring. Brain's fur bristled and he huddled closer to Pinky, growling over the top of his head and attempting to look as fierce as possible with his arms wrapped protectively around the mother of his children. First their clone and now this one.

He could feel the rumbly-grumblies against his ear. "Grrr," Pinky mimicked, hugging back as he tried to glare up at the lady too. How dare she interrupt their private love time! It was supposed to be private!

Pinky wasn't very threatening at all. A slice of cheese posed more of a threat, really. But Brain nuzzled his ear nonetheless in appreciation of the attempt, increasing the volume of his own growls until the scientists finished jotting down her notes and moved back. "Hm." Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

Even after the scientist left, Pinky tried to make growly sounds, but they were more akin to purrs than anything else. When he was satisfied she wasn't coming back, he went back to focusing on his hug. "We showed that vocalist, didn't we Brain?" He rubbed his cheek against him, wagging his tail and smiling.

Brain only rolled his eyes, giving him another nuzzle and gently stroking his back. "Pinky, my dear, you certainly tried. Your growls are hardly frightening."

"Troz?" He blinked up at him. "But your growlies aren't scary either. They make me feel happy inside!" Over his shoulder, he spared a glance at his swishing tail. "And outside."

Brain looked at the wiggling appendage as well, frowning. "Yes, well, I'm not trying to scare _you_." He leaned back, patting Pinky's belly again. "Has the baby settled back down?"

Pinky draped his arms over his head. "I don't know, let me ask her." He glanced down. "Baby? Are you done talking to us now?" There was a beat of silence. "Yep, she's done." Big blue eyes smiled up at Brain. "She's giving us mommy and daddy time now."

"How nice of her." Blushing slightly at the implication of those words, Brain leaned forward and rubbed their noses together yet again. He rather enjoyed doing it. "Come now, Pinky, let's get you in the beach chair so your back can have some support."

The taller mouse got to his feet rather slowly, groaning at the pull of his muscles. "They have support groups for backs? I didn't know that! _Zort!_"

"You need a support group for your head," Brain muttered, resting a hand at the small of his back to guide him towards the chair. "Now we have a few more minutes before the scientists leave. What would you like to do before our movie?" Because that had become a nightly ritual. Brain tended to write in his log or read research journals on-line during them, but he stayed by Pinky's side until the credits rolled or his companion fell asleep, whichever came first.

"We should pick baby names!" Pinky chirped as he sat down. Oh, he was loving this recliny chair more and more as the days went by. His back and ankles were getting really sore for some reason. "We haven't done that yet! _Narf!_"

Brain lifted a brow. Oh, that should be entertaining. "Alright, Pinky. What sort of names have you managed to come up with?"

"Oh, lovely ones, Brain!" Pinky clapped his hands together. "Let's see... poit. There's Bisquick, Brangelina, Ubiquitous, Yellow, and Kurt." He blinked expectantly at his cagemate. "What do you think, Brain?"

"I think your insanity is ubiquitous," he grumbled, eyes rolling. Brain rested his hands on his companion's tummy, caressing fondly. "In other words, we aren't naming her any of those things."

His ears drooped. He would've been sadder if not for the soothing touch on his stomach keeping him in a relatively good mood. "Oh, well, what names do you like, Brain?"

Brain moved to stand beside him, reached one hand up to stroke his ear. He didn't want an emotional, sobbing mess of a cagemate, he reminded himself and went for placating. "You tried, Pinky. Should we ever have another," which they were absolutely not going to do, "you can name it. Alright?"

"'Kay." He nodded, perking up a bit. "Promise?"

"Yes, Pinky, I promise." He frowned at his stomach, taking a moment to ponder names. "Hm..." They couldn't name her Roman Numeral II. This wasn't at all like his cloning attempt and he was fairly certain Roman Numeral I would take offense. So, naturally, he began to go over one of the most important lists he knew: the parts of the brain. Pons, cortex visual, cerebrum... Aha! "We shall call her Cerebellum." As Latin for "little brain," there was obviously no better selection.

"Sara Bella?" Pinky tilted his head and considered it, as if he had an actual say in the name. "Oh, that's a very pretty name, Brain!" he decided, nodding and beaming at his cagemate. "Good choice!" Patting his tummy to see if she liked it too, he froze when he felt more moving. But it wasn't the same moving from before... or was it? Maybe she didn't like the name. Or maybe... it was the alien.

"Pinky, what on earth is the matter now?" Brain laid a hand on his stomach, feeling the movement too. It was... different than it had been before. Not as pronounced and not nearly as excited. He moved his hand lower on his belly and wondered if maybe she'd just worn herself out. Or perhaps it was Pinky's current position. "Wait here," was the unnecessary order. "I'm going to go retrieve the stethoscope and listen to her heart."

Pinky's eyes went wide with fear and he latched onto Brain's arm. "It's not her, Brain! That moving, that's the alien! It's different from Sara Bella," he insisted. It really was. It was in a different place and everything. He knew what their baby felt like now.

"Pinky, stop it. It's not an alien. I'll prove it to you." Shaking his friend's hands off, he strode across their cage and fetched the stethoscope from beside their bed. He secretly liked to listen to the baby when he couldn't sleep at night, when he should've been taking over the world but was relegated to babysitting.

He returned, settling the little plugs in his ears. "It's going to be a little cold, Pinky. Just relax."

His mood plummeted. He didn't like not being believed. And how could he possibly relax when something was wrong with him? If it wasn't the baby and it wasn't an alien, then what was it? He was the only one left. Putting on his grumpiest face, he settled back against the chair and crossed his arms, shivering once the metal brushed his semi-bare skin.

"Don't be a brat," Brain grumbled, seeking out the steady rhythm. He roamed all over Pinky's belly, even after he'd found it, but still heard nothing but the one steady beating. "Pinky, there's only one heartbeat. There's only Cerebellum. Do you want to hear it, or do you want to pout?"

He wanted to do both. He was the pregnant one, he should get to do both if he wanted. "I don't deal in ultomatos." He'd heard that in a movie once when the hero had been given two choices, it sounded cool to say. And smart. But still, Brain would probably just take the stegosaurus scope away. Well, he could pout after. Sighing, Pinky let his ears lay flat and reached out for the scope, shooing the pout away so he looked more agreeable. But there was something else besides their baby in there. Maybe that something just didn't have a heartbeat.

It was ultimatums, but Brain didn't want to upset Pinky more than he already had. "Pinky, I know the movement felt a little different from before but that could easily be because she's tired. Even aliens have heartbeats, so if there was one in here I would hear it." He removed the plugs from his own ears and handed them over to Pinky, leaving the disc where it was so his companion would be able to hear the baby's heart immediately.

For a moment he just looked at the plugs, then lifted his gaze to meet Brain's. "So if it's not an alien..." Though he still wouldn't rule that possibility out, you could never be too sure with aliens. "Brain, I just don't want it to be something wrong with me. I know it's not the baby. And if it's me then it can hurt her 'cause she needs me, so it's just as bad as an alien only worse." He stuck the plugs in his ears to hear her heartbeat. "Mummies are supposed to take care of their babies, not hurt them."

Brain simply didn't trust Pinky's judgement over his own. And he'd been so obsessed with this alien nonsense that it just became even more difficult to believe him. "We'll take more pictures once the scientists leave, Pinky, and find out just what's going on. If anything. You're doing a very good job carrying her, so I'm sure it's not you." And if it was, then Brain would clearly just have to fix the problem.

"'Kay..." he mumbled, satisfied that she sounded alright, and handed back the stegoscope. "But if I'm doing such a good job, why do I feel so bad?" It was like that feeling he'd get whenever he let Brain down really badly, more than usual, that is. Wrapping his arms around his tummy, he just wanted to curl up in bed and cry, but he couldn't even do that properly with his chubby, fat stomach in the way.

"It's hormones, Pinky." How to explain this in a way Pinky would accept? Setting the stethoscope aside, Brain went to Pinky's side and leaned over him for a careful hug. "They're all the emotions the baby wants to feel, but can't yet. So she makes you feel them instead."

Oh, so their baby felt this awful? With a sob, Pinky latched onto Brain. "Then I'm not doing a good job if she feels like this! She should never be sad!" He was a bad mummy already and she wasn't even here yet! Just like he was a bad sidekick, always botching all the plans. He'd probably be a bad true love boyfriend too. "And I'm fat and ugly and stupid! What do you even see in me?"

That had clearly not been the correct thing to say. "Pinky, she's only upset because you are. And she's probably frustrated that she can't come out yet, that's all. That isn't your fault at all." Brain lifted his hands to Pinky's cheeks instinctively, stroking to soothe. "You're not fat and ugly. You're just pregnant and lovely." And stupid. So very stupid.

Taking big gulping breaths, Pinky blinked teary eyes at his cagemate. "S-so I'm n-not ruining her life like I've ruined yours?" It would be just dreadful to ruin someone's life before it even started. "P-p-p-poit."

"You haven't ruined anyone's life." He touched their noses together. "Everything's just fine, Pinky. Don't fret."

He nodded jerkily, chest heaving with the last of his weeping. "'Kay..." Taking a moment to compose himself, he let his eyes fall shut and raised a fist to scrub at his face. His fur was all salty and teary, it had been getting that way a lot ever since he was made pregnant. The lights above them flickered out, the scientists heading home for the weekend. Well, that was something good to look forward to. "Narf."

Phew. That hadn't lasted nearly as long as some of his other crying jags. "Let me go set up the scanner, so we can take more pictures of her, Pinky. And make sure everything's alright in here." He patted his cagemate's tummy. "Will you be alright for a few minutes?"

"Not yet, please don't go yet, Brain." Pinky grabbed onto one of Brain's hands with two of his. All these emotions were still all jumblied up and making his head hurt. He didn't want to be alone with them. "Please?"

"Alright, Pinky, alright. I won't go yet." Sighing quietly, Brain wrapped his arms around his cagemate and held on. Their noses touched and he rubbed gently. "Just tell me when you're ready, my dear."

He curled his fingers in Brain's fur and kept him close until his head made sense again. He was very lucky to have such an understanding cagemate-boyfriend-friend-thing. Relaxing in his arms, Pinky nuzzled Brain gently after a few more minutes. "I'm ready now, Brain. Poit. Sorry." As he gave him one last squeeze, his stomach interrupted the mood by rumbling and his cheeks colored. "Umm... can I still have my donut later?"

Of course, the donut. There'd be some in the kitchen; there always were. And if Pinky had food to distract him, he'd stay put longer. "I'll go get one for you now. Do you want it warmed?"

Pinky shook his head, rubbing his tummy gently. "Thank you, Brain." Maybe the baby would cheer up and stop being so cranky if she had food.

"Anything else since I'm going to the kitchen?" The question was probably a useless one as Pinky's cravings tended to be as random and sudden as his moods, but it made him feel a tad better to ask it and make sure.

"Ummm... applesauce?" Now donuts and applesauce, that was a combination that made sense! "Oh, and can the donut have sprinkles? But not a chocolate one. Well, the frosting can be chocolate but I'd rather the donut part not be." Wow, his baby was very specific. Or maybe that was just him. It was hard to tell what was what now. "Troz."

Brain stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. He pressed his nose to Pinky's brow, just to make sure his emotional overload hadn't made him sick. When he was satisfied, he leaned back and gave his belly a pat. "A donut with sprinkles and applesauce. Alright. Just wait here. I'll return shortly."

"'Kay." Pinky relaxed in the chair, tilting his head so he could watch Brain as he walked away. What? They were true love-lovers now, he could do that. When he was gone from sight, the taller mouse sighed and closed his eyes a minute, just to rest. They were tired from crying all the time. "Please be nice for mummy for the rest of the week, okay baby?" he asked, giving his belly a pat. He felt the strange movement again, his fur bristling before he willed himself to calm down again. Brain would find out what it was with his special machine thingy and everything would be okay.

Brain managed it in one trip, fitting the applesauce cup into the donut hole and holding both over his head as he made his way back to the cage. He settled them both in front of Pinky, giving his swollen stomach an automatic rub. "Pinky, are you awake?"

"Mmhm. My eyes just hurt from all the crying." He blinked them open and smiled at Brain, the grin only growing wider when he saw the food. "Naaaaaaaaaarf! Oh, thank you, Brain!"

"You're welcome, Pinky." Brain went to his side and hugged him, giving him a small nuzzle to his ear. "Don't worry, my dear. In a week, the baby will be out and you'll be just fine again."

Pinky nodded, leaning up to give his bestest best friend-boyfriend a kiss. "Being pregnant is hard work, Brain. It's not just the baby sitting in the tummy like I thought, it's a whole bunch of other things too." Mostly painful, not pleasant things, but also some good too. "I am really happy we're having a baby though. _Troz._"

"I know it is, Pinky. Or I'd spend a lot more time being aggravated with you through this process." Brain bent over a little further to give him a deeper kiss, just to see if it affected his heartbeat as much as before. "Mm..." He drew back soon enough since his heart began to race almost immediately, and let their noses rest together. "I'm glad we're having a baby as well. Now you need to eat and I'll go setup the machine so we can take more pictures."

His cheeks flushed darkly and his heart skipped a beat. Oh, he liked kisses like that. "Can we print out one of the baby pictures?" he asked, petting Brain's side before he went away. One of the things he wished they had was a picture of Romy as a baby. But he'd only been a baby for a few minutes, then he started growing really fast. Pinky hadn't even known he was Romy's mummy when he'd been a baby, though he would've loved him just the same! He was Brain's clone after all.

"I suppose we can. Parents typically keep an ultrasound image." Which was essentially what they were taking. He gave Pinky a final nuzzle before stepping back. "You behave yourself, Pinky. I won't be long."

"Bye bye, Brain!" Pinky waved then looked down at his tummy. "Say 'bye bye, daddy', baby." He waited a moment, but didn't feel anything. "Oh, it's naptime. Poit. Okay, sleepy-sleep well, Sara Bella. Mummy loves you," he cooed to his belly. His attention was diverted to the yummy snacks he had waiting for him, devouring the donut first. He took care not to make a mess, he had to look good for the pictures.

Brain returned soon enough, having decided to get one of the regular cameras as well. He knew the scientists had been not-so-sneakily taking pictures of Pinky for their research notes, but he didn't want a human-snapped shot. He wanted his own for reasons he decided not to delve into. Maybe Pinky would appreciate it... and he could show it to Roman as proof when he emailed him next. "Pinky? Are you ready to move a bit?"

Having just polished off the applesauce, Pinky nodded as he licked his fingers clean. "_Zort!_ Picture time, Brain?" he asked as he sat up straighter, hands automatically going to support his lower back as he stretched.

Brain moved to him, helping him to his feet. "Yes, my dear, picture time. I want to take one of you without the machine too, if that's acceptable." He had to pause a moment, frowning slightly before shaking his head. Asking Pinky permission was an extremely odd thing. He'd be glad when he could back to ordering him about like normal. "Come, Pinky."

"Of course, Brain." The taller mouse was also unused to being asked for permission. Not that he minded either way, his answer was bound to be the same regardless. He held onto Brain's hand as they walked to the machine. Well, Brain walked, Pinky's gait was more of a waddle-walk as he tried to shift his weight to find the best stance. All the extra belly weight made his body confused. "Do I look pretty enough for a picture?" He hadn't gotten a chance to look in the mirror! Hopefully his fur wasn't all flippy.

"Of course you are, Pinky." He slid his free hand around his friend, resting it on the small of his back. He got him situated in the seat for the machine, batting away a trickle of nerves. What if there _was_ something wrong? Pinky would be devastated if he couldn't take care of the baby properly. They'd even named her already. He hid the nerves by pressing his nose to Pinky's brow. Still no fever. He sighed quietly. "You're beautiful, my dear."

Pinky beamed, cheeks tinting red at the compliment. "Oh, Brain," he giggled, running his hands down the megalomaniac's arms. "You're beautiful too! Oh! You should be in the picture with me! The other one, not this gumball machine one." He glanced over at the machine, hoping it would only say good things! Except, it needed to find something to explain that other moving movement in his tummy that wasn't Sara Bella.

Cheeks reddening, Brain leaned back and gazed down at him. "I'll be in one of them," he agreed. "But I want one with only you." He patted Pinky's belly, taking his fingers through the bristly fur gently. "Now just lay back and relax. Close your eyes and I'll take plenty of pictures of Cerebellum. I'm sure she's just fine."

"'Kay." Taking a deep breath, Pinky relaxed into the chair and closed his eyes. Their baby girl would be fine and the extra movement would just be... something happy. Maybe more hormoons. No, those weren't very happy and he didn't need more of those. Maybe it was butterflies! He was in love after all, weren't you supposed to feel butterflies in your tummy when you were in love? Oh, but he did feel them, and they didn't feel at all like this other thing. It felt more like a baby. But not the baby. His brow creased as he pondered that. Mice could have more than one baby, but that was just silly! Brain would've told him if there was another baby inside with Sara Bella. Plus, he didn't think he had that much room inside him for two babies.

Brain went to the controls and fired it up. "Remember to keep your eyes closed until I tell you otherwise, Pinky," he reminded him and pulled dark goggles over his own eyes as the bright light started to shine and the pictures were taken. Brain watched, holding an image in place now and again to study it.

In one, there was a shadow. A very small, very odd shadow. It could just be the lighting, but it was the only photograph with it and it only happened when Cerebellum stretched a little. Perhaps it was her shadow? Brain focused on the area, adjusting the machine's focus to try and clear up the shadow and explain it, but the baby stilled and the shadow didn't reappear.

So Brain brushed it off and turned his attention to the rest of his cagemate's belly. There was nothing amiss from what he could tell and he'd been absorbing every single bit of mouse reproduction that he could find. It was a good thing, at times, that mice were so predominantly studied. There was a wealth of information on their species when he needed it.

Brain decided that Pinky was alright and so was the baby - whose features were growing more predominant, even her little ears had begun to unfurl. His own twitched as he took that in. "One more week," he murmured and shut the machine down. "Alright, Pinky, you can open your eyes now."

Blue eyes blinked rapidly and he looked around as if the pictures would magically appear. "Did you find anything, Brain?" He turned his worried gaze to his cagemate and tilted his head. Surely Brain would sound and look more nervous if something was wrong.

"No, Pinky. You and Cerebellum both appear to be in perfect health. There's no sign of an alien or anything else, I promise." He went to his cagemate, rubbing their noses together to soothe. "She's growing just as she's supposed to, Pinky. You're a wonderful mommy."

"Naaaaaaaarf," he sighed, slumping with relief. Well, if the movement wasn't doing any bad things, like being an alien, than he supposed it was alright that it stay there. He'd just have to pay close attention to it, in case it tried anything funny. "And you're a wonderful daddy." Pinky smiled at him, reaching out to pet his ear.

"Thank you, Pinky," he murmured, ear twitching. "And try not to forget that many things in your body are very different right now. That extra movement you're feeling could be something completely natural. Don't worry about anything unless it starts to hurt."

He nodded in understanding. "Right, Brain. Don't worry even if it hurts! I mean... unless. Right. Poit." Leaning forward just enough, Pinky brushed their lips together. Kissing was great fun. And he could do it whenever he wanted to since they were true love's lovers! Lovers love the spring. He giggled to himself, still stroking Brain's ear. "Time for the other pictures now. _ Zort. _Then a movie?" And then bed. Oh, their nights were so much shorter with him being pregnant.

"Yes, Pinky. Which movie would you like to watch tonight?" The Brain inquired, nuzzling Pinky fondly as he started to help him sit up. "I believe it's your turn to choose."

"One where the mummy doesn't die." Pinky scrunched up his face. The past three he'd chosen had the mummies die. Normally he didn't mind them, but for the time being, he figured it'd be better not to watch those. Sara Bella and the alien agreed. "Ummm... troz." He wobbled on his feet a minute and thought about what movies they hadn't seen. "Oh! Lady and the Tramp!" He laced his fingers together, batting his eyelashes as he started to sing. "Oh, this is the night, it's a beautiful night! And they call it bella- oh! Egad, your name's in the song, baby Bella," he told his tummy.

Brain only sighed. Cerebellum's name was apparently going to be shortened as well. "It would appear so." Even though, no, it certainly was not. "Is Lady and the Tramp one of the ones with dogs?"

"Oh, yes, Brain! It's the one with the two dogs in loooove!" he sing-songed, with a bright smile. "Just like us! Except we're mice. Poit."

Well, they'd watched all the ones with mice. "Alright, Pinky, we'll watch that one. Time to stand up now, my dear. I'll take the one with you by yourself first and then I'll join you for the second."

"'Kay!" He got to his feet and stretched a bit, sucking in a breath when his back popped. Much better. "How do you want me to stand, Brain?" he asked, fussing with his fur.

"Just stand however you're most comfortable, Pinky." Brain smoothed down the fur of his sides, reaching up to frame his face in his hands. He nearly had to rise to his toes to reach, but it was worth it to keep Pinky from having to bend. "Now stop fussing. You look lovely."

He blushed, smiling shy as his tail curled around him. Taking hold of it, he wrung it in his hands a moment as he tried to get over the sudden wave of bashfulness. "Zounds, Brain," he giggled, letting go of his tail so he could wrap his arms around his swelling stomach. "Smile for the camera, baby."

Brain went over to it and climbed up to press the button, smiling slightly. The swollen stomach was so very odd on his usually lean partner, but knowing that it was their baby in there made his heart swell. He was never going to allow the scientists to do something so dangerous again, but it was precious now since both were safe and sweet. He snapped one while Pinky's attention and smile was on his belly before calling out to him. "Pinky, look up here now."

His gaze lifted automatically, beaming at the smaller mouse. "Hi, Brain! _Narf!_" he chirped, refraining from waving only because he liked keeping his hands on his tummy. It felt like he could keep their baby safe and loved this way.

Brain took the picture like that as well. He truly was lovely with his shiny blue eyes and his bright smile. After setting the timer for another picture, he scrambled down and darted over to be at his cagemate's side. He rested his hands on Pinky's belly, lifting to his toes so he could touch their noses together and, to his embarrassment, heard the shutter click. He'd misjudged the time.

"Oh, Brain!" Pinky, of course, thought it was on purpose. "I love you!" He couldn't help laughing and tilting his head for kiss, his hands going to rest on Brain's waist.

The megalomaniac stayed up long enough for a brief kiss before sinking back down, color filling his cheeks. "Yes, well... Let's get you situated for the movie now, dear." Brain pressed a hand against the small of his back, guiding him towards the television. He still needed to get his chair and the pillows.

"I hope I stay awake through the whole movie this time." He walk-waddled while caressing his stomach. "They have a cute puppy family at the end." When they got to the TV, he leaned against it, so he'd have some support for while Brain collected his chair and such.

"Well, if you fall asleep, I'll wake you up so you can see the puppies," Brain promised, giving him a pat before going to their cage, grabbing their things in what was becoming a very familiar routine. He hadn't even unfurled any of his blueprints in days. The thought made him twitchy, so he'd have to create some plan the next day in order to make up for it.

Brain setup the chair, dropping the pillow down to support Pinky's back and reached out for his friend to help him take a seat. "Come along. Movie and then bedtime."

"What about best-boyfriend things? Aren't we best-boyfriends now, Brain?" he asked as he reclined in the chair. "Poit. Or are we married because we're a mommy and daddy? Again. Hm." His brow furrowed as he debated that one in his head, though it was more like a game of Pong in which there was no winner.

"Ah..." Brain wasn't at all certain how to respond to that. Just what _were_ they? Boyfriends sounded incredibly immature, married sounded... surprisingly better. He would've assumed that to be more terrifying than something as simplistic as boyfriends. "What do you mean by best-boyfriend things?"

It took him a moment to even realize he'd been asked a question, distracted by the bouncing, glowing ball in his mind. "Oh! Umm..." He poked his tongue out the side of his mouth as he thought. "Like the stuff that comes after the kissing. You know, where we get all touchy and happy... _zort_! The part that usually comes before babies."

His cheeks turned bright red, though it wasn't all embarrassment. It was due in part to the warmth the idea filled him with. But Brain shook his head, carefully helping Pinky settle into the chair. "Pinky, we... We can't. You're _pregnant_."

The taller mouse pouted. "But Brain, I want to! It's the horgroans," he protested, but obediently laid back to rest. "It's because I'm all chubby-round like you except not cute, isn't it?"

"Pinky..." Brain fidgeted. "It isn't the way you look. I would certainly like to, but it's..." He rubbed his belly, the blush deepening. "What if she moves while we're...?" He was too mortified to even finish the question. "We will when you're not pregnant anymore. We can... cuddle until then."

"Lots of cuddles and kisses?" Pinky's ears twitched up as he looked at him expectantly. His cheeks were so reddy-red, it was terribly funny and adorable, or would be if they would get to do those special love things. Though, he could settle for kissing and cuddling he supposed. But he'd seen from the TV shows that there was never any time to do anything after a baby came. They'd be waiting a really long time. His horgroans didn't like that thought at all. Patience is a teapot, Pinky. That's just what he had to keep telling himself.

"Plenty of cuddles and kisses," Brain promised, taking a step back. "I'm going to go and get the movie now." Before the rush of blood to his head made him dizzy.

"'Kay," he sighed, getting all comfy in the beach chair. No sulking, time to look on the bright side! Maybe Brain will change his mind! That's the spirit! "Naaaarf!"

Brain retrieved the videotape and carted it to the TV, popping it into the VCR. He turned towards Pinky, color returning to his cheeks almost immediately. If they did as Pinky wanted (which was a stunning request for a plethora of reasons) they'd be... lovers. He scrubbed his hands over his cheeks, trying to diminish the blush as he made his way closer to his companion.

Pinky kept his eyes on his cagemate the whole time, rather interested in the fact that he was still all flushy-blushy. "Your cheeks, Brain." Pinky poked his own for emphasis. "They're still tomato-y. _Troz._"

"They weren't until I looked at you again," the megalomaniac grumbled, but he couldn't resist leaning over Pinky to press their lips together for a brief, chaste kiss. It was a relief that Pinky wasn't upset by his decision to abstain for the time being. Brain had seen enough of his friend's tears the past few days to last a lifetime and there was still another week to go.

"Aww, I make you blushy," he sing-songed, rubbing their noses together. "Why? Do I look especially fetching in my beach chair? _Narf._" Or maybe he was still thinking about love things, and maybe he was changing his mind! Oh, he'd never doubt teapots again!

"My dear Pinky, you're always especially fetching." Brain kissed him again, lingering this time. Kissing Pinky was something he could very easily get used to. "You've just put... thoughts in my head that are difficult to stop pondering over."

Tracing the curve of Brain's ear, Pinky giggled into the kiss. "Then don't stop pondering them. Poit," he whispered secretively. Oh, he was being a bad influence and it was so much fun!

"Don't tempt me, Pinky." Brain gave his bottom lip a light nip before straightening again. "Just watch your movie."

Pinky stuck his tongue out at him playfully, then looked at the screen just in time to see the magic castle and the blue screen. Then it opened on a Christmas landscape. "Oh, I love Christmas," he sighed, his attention leaving his companion in favor of the movie. He'd try again more later.

Brain took his seat on the pillow at Pinky's side, sighing quietly. Reaching up, he found his hand and held on. It was as routine as the movie itself. Though by the time the siamese cats came on screen and sang their mind-numbing little song, he was on his laptop and had the newly taken pictures on the screen.

Poor Lady, sent away to get a mean ol' muzzle when she just wanted to play with the baby. But at least it was the true love part, or coming up anyway. Oh, why couldn't he be craving spaghetti and meatballs now? It would be fun-fun silly-willy to share with Brain and kiss through a noodle! Noodle, what a funny word. Nooooooodle. Pinky laughed softly, covering his mouth with one hand as he tried to get back into the movie. Noodle. Egad, it was high-larious.

Brain looked up, lifting a brow. A glance at the screen showed nothing particularly amusing, so it must've been in Pinky's head. Which meant it could be any number of insane things. Safer, then, not to ask. He just gave the taller mouse's hand a squeeze, rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb. "Pinky, do you want to see what Cerebellum looks like before your attention returns to the animation?"

Trying to swallow his giggles, Pinky nodded. "Oh, yes, please!" He leaned over to look down at the laptop. "Which part of her is what? _Narf._"

"It's easier to tell now than it was before," Brain assured him, tilting the screen so he could see. He trailed the mouse over the screen as he spoke, using the cursor to point things out. "Her ears are starting to unfurl here. And then her muzzle and down here is her tail. It looks like she'll have a long tail like you do."

"Baby," Pinky awed, eyes widening. "Oh, she does look like a baby mouse mousey mouse now. Oh, she's gonna have a chubby round head just like you, Brain!" He gave his hand a squeeze. His heart fluttered at the thought that their daughter really would have parts of both of them in her. She looked so precious. So cute and small and huggable. Oh, he'd give her lots of hugs when she was here to play! He rubbed his belly, feeling her kick around inside, along with the other thing. "I love you, baby," he told his tummy.

"Babies always have rather large heads," Brain grumbled, looking up at his partner. "And I sincerely hope you don't tell our baby that she has a chubby head." He glanced at Pinky's hands, then back up, debating with himself for a moment. But he wanted to feel. "Is she kicking again?"

Ignoring the first part, Pinky nodded and met the pink gaze. "Mmhm! Wanna feel?" He smiled and brought Brain's hand over to rest over where she was moving about. "Daddy's here, Sara Bella. Say 'I love you' back."

Brain scooted closer, getting up so he could watch the ripples of her kicks. "She's as energetic as you are, Pinky. Heaven help me." Impulsively, he rested his cheek on his belly beside their hands, gazing up at his cagemate. The restless little movements beneath him were echoed by his heart. It was so odd, loving something so completely before even getting a chance to hold it. It was terrifying, really, and he was abruptly grateful that Pinky was around to share this with him. He didn't think he could take so much emotion all on his own.

Pinky gazed at him fondly, moving one of his hands from his tummy to stroke Brain's head. Both of his special people. Even if he couldn't see one of them just yet. He could still feel them. He hummed softly, eyes going half-lidded as he felt her movements slow. They didn't stop, but they weren't nearly as restless. "You make her happy, she likes your voice." That's what he figured, and he didn't blame her. Brain did the same for him. All the love feelings overwhelmed him again, so he squeezed Brain's hand and continued to caress his brow.

"Babies typically recognize their mother's voice first," Brain mused, pressing an absent kiss to Pinky's belly. "She'll recognize your scent first, too, and feel safest with you until she gets used to me." He sighed quietly, lacing their fingers. "Go to sleep, my dear. I'll wake you up when it's time for the puppies."

"Not sleepy yet, I wanna see the spaghetti part too. Poit." Though he kept his eyes on his cagemate. He liked the feel of him resting against his stomach, even better the light brush of his lips. "The baby wants another kiss." His hand smoothed over Brain's brow until he reached his ear, then gave it a small tweak.

"Does the baby want the kiss or does her mommy?" Yet, ear twitching, Brain pressed another kiss to his stomach and nuzzled gently. "One more week, Cerebellum," he whispered.

"Both," he giggled sleepily, his fur tickled his bristly belly. Pinky traced the curve of Brain's ear. "Egad, Brain, how much longer is a week? I want to hold her," he squeaked out through a yawn.

"Just a few more days, Pinky. And then you can hold her." Brain smiled slightly, watching him fight sleep. Leaving their joined hands on his belly, Brain moved to press a soft kiss to Pinky's lips, giving him as gentle a nuzzle as he'd given to his tummy.

He kissed back, his eyes falling shut. "I know what you're doing... you're trying to get me to go to sleep..." Pinky lapped lazily at his lips. "S'not gonna work... troz..."

"If you're tired, then baby must be tired," he tried, slowly sinking into another kiss. "You don't want to overexert the baby, dear."

"She took a nap... she's not tired either... right, baby?" But he didn't expect a response, his mind getting fuzzy with sleep and the lulling kisses weren't helping either. "Brain... 'kay, maybe it's bedtime... in five minutes," he acquiesced.

"Five minutes," the megalomaniac agreed, giving him another warm kiss. "But then you sleep."

Pinky's kisses were more instinctive, lips responding to the brushes of Brain's as he struggled to stay awake for the full five minutes despite his closed eyes and limp body. "You too? You promised snuggles... 'stead of love things..."

Love things...? Blushing lightly, Brain lifted his hands to Pinky's face and caressed his cheeks gently. "We can snuggle when you wake up, Pinky. Cerebellum needs her mommy to sleep."

He was going to say something, but he forgot what and his mouth closed on a sigh. His last thought was of how pretty their baby girl's name sounded before he fell asleep, head tilting into Brain's hands.

Brain rubbed his nose against Pinky's brow, happy to still find no fever. Everything was going to be just fine. But Brain would have to make missing the puppies up to his companion. They could try again the next day. He turned the movie off as Lady and Tramp were wandering down an alley towards the back of an Italian restaurant and didn't set it to rewind. They could pick up from there later.

Gently, he lifted Pinky up and carried him and the pillows to bed, settling him down and climbing in beside him. Not for the first time, he was very grateful that the scientists didn't work weekends. Brain rested his hand on Pinky's belly and tucked his chin atop the taller mouse's head, flattening his ear in the process. "Goodnight, Pinky," he whispered, too used to having to say the words to avoid them just because his companion was already asleep.

* * *

Stolen from StarShineDC's dA:

This. Chapter. Egad! It's so cute!  
They finally get their I-love-yous and their true love's first kiss and awwww.  
The baby moves! Awww! I just love it.

I also just adore Pinky's mood swings; they were so much fun to play off of.  
Poor Brain, lol

* * *

I concur with my associate lol.

Being a moody Pinky is so much fun xD And I adore my Brain, he's such a secret sap. And the growlies! I love all the growling. From both protective Brain and adorable Pinky.


	7. Chapter 7

Of course, on one of the few days where the scientists weren't around, Pinky actually didn't feel like getting out of bed. He wasn't even mad that he couldn't run on his wheel, which was a first. Queasy and achy and tired, he pretended to be asleep for a lot longer than normal just because he didn't feel like moving, and he also didn't want Brain to worry at his lack of energy. The baby had plenty though, maybe she was taking some of his away. The alien probably was too, he'd moved around a little during the night, but it was so brief he probably wouldn't have noticed it if he wasn't so suspicious.

The only thing that persuaded him to get up was that they were going to decorate the nursery since all the scientists were gone and wouldn't notice them (though they'd surely notice the nursery come Monday). Oh, and he wanted a pizza. With mushrooms and olives and pineapples and bacon. Half was for Sara Bella and the other half was for the alien. Cringing as he felt the baby's foot kick his rib (was that even possible?), Pinky finally rolled over and blinked his eyes open, poking his head out of the cocoon of blankets. Egad, it was bright. What time was it? Maybe a few more minutes... He tugged the blanket back over his head.

Brain looked up from his log, noticing the movement. He glanced at a nearby clock, frowning slightly. He'd been prepared to give Pinky another five minutes before waking him up, but if he was starting to awaken on his own that was better. He set aside his pencil and rose, taking the few steps towards his partner. Because it was a very rare thing for the megalomaniac to wake up first, he'd stayed close. Actually, Brain couldn't recall a single day where he'd been awake before Pinky unless it was a day where he'd stayed up until Pinky had woken.

"Pinky?" Brain murmured, laying a hand on the swollen tummy over the blanket. He looked down, feeling the kicks and wriggles through them. How on earth could anyone sleep through _that_? He sighed, reaching up a hand to ease the blankets down. "Pinky, my dear, you've been asleep all morning."

His eyes were already open, staring up at him wearily. "I know... poit." Pinky rolled onto his side facing Brain, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Can babies get stuck in your ribs, Brain? I think that's where Bella is." He rubbed his stomach slowly with one hand, the other tucked under his pillow beneath his head.

"No, Pinky, it just feels that way because there's not much room in there and she's getting bigger." Brain kneaded his belly firmly, leaning forward to touch their noses together. "And she's very busy today."

"That makes one of us." He stretched under Brain's touch, moaning softly in appreciation. Nuzzling against his cagemate-boyfriend-husband, Pinky kissed him. "I'm still so tired, Brain."

The sound he'd made went places it had no business going, so Brain batted away the reaction and rubbed his nose gently over Pinky's brow. A little warm, he realized and his heart skipped a beat. He assured himself that it was nothing to worry about, though, and eased Pinky onto his back again. He tucked the blankets around him and gave him a soft kiss. "You've got a little fever, Pinky. You're just going to have to stay in bed today so it doesn't get worse." He would have to read up on a few things, but giving Pinky a fraction of an aspirin to help combat the fever shouldn't hurt Cerebellum.

"But, Brain... what about the nursery? We've gotta decorate Bella's room." Though he really didn't mind being tucked in again. And getting kissed. He reached out and ran his fingers through the fur of Brain's chest. "_Zort._"

"Pinky, you're hardly in any state to decorate." Brain framed Pinky's face in his hands, pressing a light kiss to the tip of his nose. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"'Kay." He was too tired to argue, so he smiled up at him and his pretty pink eyes. "What state do I have to be in for snuggles? Idaho? Or Canada? Mexico, Panama..." Oh, wait, those weren't states. Those were provinces.

Brain rolled his eyes, though his cheeks had become the same shade as his eyes. "This state is acceptable for snuggles, Pinky."

"_Narf._" He held his arms open. "Good, 'cause snuggles are good medicine. Not as good as laughter, but I'm too tired to laugh and I want to cuddle. Please." He tacked on, because even though he was a little cranky and achy, it was no excuse to forget his manners.

He could hear an edge of grumpiness in Pinky's tone, so went over to his side of the bed and crawled over, wrapping his arms around his partner and holding on. He didn't get under the blanket, not wanting to disrupt him too much, and nuzzled behind his ear fondly. "I'm sorry you don't feel well today, Pinky. At times, babies like to take all the energy for themselves."

Pinky made a pleased little sound, ear twitching. "It's not your fault, Brain." He tilted his head so he could look at him. "Really, it isn't. Poit. I don't even get to blame you like all the other mummies do to their husbands and boyfriends on TV when it starts to hurt," he told him matter-of-factly, bumping their noses together. "They always say 'oh, why'd you do this to me? It's all your fault.'" He'd pitched his voice a little higher to pretend to be the ladies on the TV. "Troz. But doesn't it take two to make a baby? They had to do stuff too..."

Where had he been going with this? Oh, right. "But you didn't put the baby in me, so you don't have to be sorry. And even if you did, it's okay 'cause we're gonna have the best baby girl ever. Even if she kicks a lot and makes me tired."

Even when he was tired, he could be sweet. Brain rubbed their noses together, snuggling a little closer. One of his hands slid down to caress his belly and soothe the restless baby within. "She is going to be the best baby girl ever," he agreed. "Because she's ours."

"Baby baby baby," he sing-songed into his sigh, nuzzling against him. "What's going to happen when baby is ready to come out, Brain?" Maybe she'd burst out of the seafoam or the top of Brain's head. He read stories where people were born like that. Or maybe the stork would bring her.

"Well, Pinky... The scientists are going to have to take you again. They're going to help Cerebellum get out of your belly since you don't have the necessary parts to give birth. And then, since they aren't complete fools, they're going to bring the two of you back here and put a sheet over our cage so it'll be nice and dark for her for a little while."

He blinked at him, worry creasing his brow. "You're not going to be there? But-but you're the daddy, Brain. Poit."

"I know, Pinky. It'll be alright. They'll bring you both right back here to me." Brain pressed his nose to Pinky's brow, rubbing gently to discourage the wrinkles. "You'll be asleep the whole time, my dear, so you won't even notice."

Pinky's forehead smoothed out and he reached over to cling to Brain's fur. "They have to open my tummy again, don't they?" While he didn't want to miss seeing their baby for the first time, he didn't really want to see what he looked like on the inside very much. Unless he was filled with candy, but he'd peeked at some of the books and notes Brain had been reading and it didn't look like it would be very pretty inside.

"They do, but you'll be just fine. You won't even know it happened until you wake up and Cerebellum's here." Brain pressed a kiss to the warm forehead, nuzzling gently as he rubbed soothing circles over the swollen stomach. "Everything will be alright."

"'Kay. I trust you, Brain." The smile in his eyes reflected that sentiment. Brain knew everything, so if he said it would be okay, then it would. Pinky closed his eyes and he cuddled, the circles on his tummy lulling him back to sleep. It didn't even hurt when Sara Bella kicked. Brain was clearly magical. "Love you," he murmured, hugging him close.

Brain nuzzled him gently, in silent return of the rather uncomfortable words, and stayed close a while after his partner had fallen back to sleep. Eventually, however, he needed to move. So very carefully made his way out of bed and out of their cage to get to the phone. Lying there had given him an idea. He just needed their clone's assistance in putting the small plot to work. He trusted Roman more than he did anyone else. Or anyone else besides the mouse sleeping in his bed, at any rate.

He plucked up his mouse-sized receiver and dialed his son's number, pacing while he waited for him to answer.

"Yo. What's up?" The laidback tone of the cloned mouse floated through the phone.

Brain scowled. "Is that how you always answer a telephone, Roman?"

"Oh, hey pop." Romy was surprised to hear his father on the line. Pinky usually did the calling on the rare occasion that he heard from his parents. "Usually, yeah. S'not like I'm expecting the president or anything."

_S'not_ he mentally repeated, rubbing his brow. One punctuation mark from disgusting. Brain knew Roman knew how to speak properly; he just chose not to. It didn't come "naturally," whatever that meant. "Your lack of telephonic communicative manners aside, I find myself... requiring your..." He tugged absently at his ear, glancing back at the cage. "Assistance. If you're amenable."

"Depends... is this some kind of take over the world scene? 'Cause you know that's just not my thing." Though he couldn't imagine what else his megalomaniacal parent could want help with.

"I'm well-aware of your disinterest in that particular activity. Besides that, I couldn't possibly do so without Pinky's assistance and he's in even worse shape than normal." Brain shook his head. "No, what I require your assistance with is... well..." Now that he was asking, it seemed an incredibly mortifying request to make of his son. "I realize your distaste for the lab, but could you come? ...Please?"

Not only was he completely shocked at his father's use of the word 'please', he felt a little uneasy about the whole thing. Pinky in worse shape than normal? Something that didn't have to do with taking over the world? Glarb. What had his parents gotten into this time? "Yeah, sure, dad. But what's going on? Is ma alright? You didn't get in another fight again, did you? That's so not... narf."

"Yes, I'm sure it's extremely not narf," was the bland response, Brain's eyes rolling. "Pinky and I didn't get into a fight," he grumbled, color filling his cheeks. "And he is... Roman, I'm fairly certain you wouldn't believe this over the phone. I was going to email you the details tonight, but with him not feeling well, I would rather just... Surprise him," he muttered, growing more embarrassed by the second. "Just come to the lab, Roman."

"'Kay, I'll have Bunny drive me over in a few. But you've got me kind of freaked with this whole cryptic vibe you've got going on, dad." Romy sighed, knowing it was useless to pry anything else out of him. "See ya. Narf."

"Goodbye," Brain grumbled and hung up. It wasn't cryptic; it was mortifying. Brain just hoped their clone had enough Pinky in him to be useful on this particular venture. It was far from taking over the world, but it would hopefully make his companion happy. Brain knew very well that he'd been looking forward to having a nursery.

Sighing, he made his way back into the cage to make sure Pinky was still asleep... and to rub his belly. Cerebellum was very restless today.

When Romy arrived at the lab, he hopped in through the mail slot and strode over to the room his parents were kept in. While he was a little concerned with whatever was going on with The Brain, he was going to keep his cool. It was just so glarb to get frazzled over something that might end up being nothing. It was Pinky and Brain after all, you could never tell with them.

"Hey, pop," he called out once he'd squeezed in through the door. He remembered where the cage was and headed in that direction.

"Hay is for horses..." Pinky murmured, shifting towards Brain in his sleep. "Naaaaaarf."

Drat. He didn't want Pinky to wake up during all of this! Brain nuzzled him soothingly, waiting for him to slip back into a deeper sleep before scrambling out of the cage. He nearly ran right over his clone, but managed to stop in time. This pregnancy was ruining his sense of timing and fraying his nerves... and he wasn't even the one carrying the baby. "Roman! Quiet down. You'll wake him."

"Woah, chill, dad." Romy backed off, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. He tried to see around him into the cage, which wasn't hard to do since his father was considerably shorter than him. "Ma's sleeping? It's the middle of the day. Isn't he always... y'know, up before you?"

"Of course he's always up before me. It's Pinky." Brain clasped his hands behind his back, scowling. "I told you he wasn't feeling well over the phone. It's only a small fever, but considering the circumstances I would greatly appreciate if it didn't get any worse. Sleep is the best thing for him at the moment."

The clone shrugged. "If you say so. Glarb." He turned his gaze back to his shorter parent. "Bummer that he's sick. Did you need me to get him anything? I know you don't make tea like he does, but he'd probably like some of that." Though, Pinky would like it if he was given shoe polish to drink, so that wasn't saying much.

"Yes, yes, I already considered that. When he wakes up later, I was going to give him some." Brain started to pace, frowning and pondering to himself. If he couldn't talk to his son properly, how on earth would he talk to his daughter? So he made himself stop and turned to face his clone. "Pinky was looking forward to having the nursery finished today. But he's ill and it's certainly not a skill I can claim. While your home is... bohemian, I was hoping you would have some idea of what to do. All I know for certain is Pinky's desire for yellow."

"Hold on a sec," Romy requested, raising an eyebrow as he surveyed Brain. "A nursery? Oh... don't tell me you guys tried the whole cloning thing again... or adopted another super baby. Not to mention that time you guys ended up with that Rockefeller kid. Your guys' track record just isn't so hot." Perhaps he could talk his dad out of whatever misguided scheme he had up his sleeve and spare Pinky the pain of separation. Again. He blinked as he noticed something akin to distress in his father's expression, so he pulled back the reigns a bit. "Sorry for putting that all out there, dad. So not narf. Now, what's with this nursery?"

Brain's heart felt like it wanted to leap out of his chest, it was beating so quickly. With that sort of history, how on earth were they supposed to raise a girl? He rubbed his hands together, the palms suddenly damp. There wasn't a thing they could do to change the situation either. "Egad, Roman, we're going to ruin her. What was I _thinking_?" He tugged at his ears, turning away.

Egad. Brain never said 'egad' unless he was truly unsettled by something. "Dad, dad, chill. Freaking out is just glarb, okay?" Romy laid a hand on his shoulder, giving him an awkward pat. Affection was just so much easier with Pinky. "Who are you talking about? _Did_ you guys clone yourselves again?" If so, then he had a little sister to get to know. Trippy. Wait. How could they get a girl clone from male DNA? "Dad?"

"This entire situation is glarb," Brain muttered, shoving his hands into pockets that only seemed to appear when he wasn't thinking about them. It hadn't been glarb before. He'd been looking forward to it before. But now a week felt like a countdown to imminent failure rather than something to look forward to. "Of course I didn't attempt cloning again. I never go back on old plans." He rubbed a hand against his brow, swallowing nervously. "This is ridiculous. I can't even figure out how to decorate a nursery on my own."

He spun back to face Roman abruptly enough to startle them both, but only cleared his throat and explained. "The scientists have already figured out how to create an infant with the genes of two males. They've now moved on to... male pregnancy. They created a child with our combined genes, implanted it within Pinky, and we only have a week left before she's here."

"Zounds." Was all Romy could really say. Well, it wasn't one of his dad's obsessive schemes, it was something he honestly had no control over. No wonder he was wigging out. He glanced from the cage to The Brain and to the cage again before sighing. So his dads were going to have to raise a child, a normal, non-accelerated growth child. Well, as normal as one could be when sharing their genes... and he'd gone and listed all his failures at interacting with children. He felt like such a... needle-ningy.

He grabbed onto Brain's shoulders, because both his parents responded well to tactile reinforcement, and looked him in the eyes. "Dad, you've got nothing to freak about. You and ma will do fine. I mean, look. You're already worried about the little tyke and what kind of parent you'll be. It already shows you've got the makings of a... of a good dad." He glanced up for a moment and sighed. All this mushy stuff... "And you are one. I have a first witness account of it. Poit."

Brain just stared at him for a moment, mind still rather firmly placed in negative territory. It was where it was most comfortable, after all. "Roman, I have to say _please_ just to get you to come to the lab. You're always surprised to hear from us. Pinky asks me if it's your birthday at _least_ once a week just so we have an excuse to see you. That's _hardly_ proof of good parenting."

Irritation had slid to sheer terror at some point during his rant. "And she's moving now and it's precious, but Pinky's ill and how on earth am I supposed to take care of Cerebellum while Pinky's recovering from the cesarean they're going to put him through when I very clearly don't know the first thing about child-rearing?"

"Dad, you know how to raise a child." Roman had to roll his eyes at that. Knowing Brain, he'd probably read through tomes of information concerning the subject. "The only thing you really had a problem with was separating your world domination thing from parenting. And trust me, in the few days ma will be resting for, I doubt even you would be able to train an infant in the ways of achieving global conquest. I mean, she won't even have fur." His lips quirked up a little as he remembered the name he'd let slip. "And you named her already? Narf, man. You're already attached and that's the first step." Because clearly Pinky hadn't chosen that name. Not when he was so fond of things like Mandingo or Socks.

Shuffling his feet a bit, he was still trying to kick that habit Pinky instilled in him, he averted his gaze. "I would've come to help you out even if you didn't say please, dad. I don't expect you guys to check on me all the time because I'm old enough to take care of myself. It's just not cool to have your folks on your back when you're my age, so I appreciate you letting me do my thing. And I know... I know that's hard for you to accept. But that is a sign of, y'know, 'good parenting' or whatever."

"Roman, if I didn't accept that you want to 'do your thing,' as you put it, I would still be trying to get you to assist Pinky and I in our schemes. What's difficult to accept is that one of Pinky's biggest worries is that Cerebellum's going to leave as... abruptly as you did." Brain sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "But her origins are vastly different from yours, so..." He gave a small shrug and cut off that line of conversation.

"Of course we named her already. Pinky tried to name her ubiquitous... or Kurt. But he's already nicknamed her Bella." He looked down, embarrassed. "Her... her ears are finally uncurling."

"Bella?" He thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, I can see that." Made total sense. "Aww, dad, are you getting all sappy?" Romy couldn't help the knowing smirk. "Bad parents don't get excited about ears, y'know." Shaking his head, he shoved his hands in the mysterious fur pockets and tilted his head. Time to get his old man off these bad vibes. "So. The nursery. Ma wants yellow?"

"It was another one of his name choices," Brain muttered, tugging absently at one of his ears. "Apparently, it's 'happy.'"

Romy refrained from pointing out the obvious. Of course yellow was happy. Didn't he get the narfness of it at all after living with Pinky for so long? Still, he wasn't going to bring him down again, not when Pinky wasn't properly equipped to deal with him at the moment. "So we'll make it yellow. It mixes well with pink and blue." He shrugged, strolling over to the cage.

"Yellow, pink, _and_ blue?" Brain followed his clone, overtaking the lead as he was so used to doing. "Just try and keep your voice down, Roman. I don't want him waking up in the middle of all this."

"I know, dad. S'not like I was gonna break into song and dance as soon as I walked in." Romy rolled his eyes. Parents of so little faith. "And yeah, those are all ma's favorite colors. If you wanted to surprise him, I figured that'd be a good way to do it." He glanced around. "So you putting Bella where my old room went?"

"That would be easiest," the megalomaniac agreed, eyes seeking his counterpart as he stepped into the cage, making sure that he was still asleep. "That corner's been kept empty."

"Narf. Well, I can see the crib or whatever going right over there. And you'll want to get her a toy box since it's Pinky's kid we're talking about. Hey, so is he, y'know..." Roman gestured around his stomach, making a wide, circle gesture.

"Yes, he is. And hormonal with it." Brain smiled slightly, ducking his head to hide it, but he couldn't entirely erase the affection in his tone. "He waddles when he walks."

Romy snickered. "Man, I'd like to see that." He raised a brow and smiled easily at the megalomaniac. "Sounds like you do. You guys getting close through all this?"

"I detest your implication," he muttered, color rising. But he heard a soft whimper and any denial he may have tried would've been a clear lie. He went straight over to his cagemate, sighing when he discovered that he'd lifted the blankets over his head again. Brain nudged them down, touching his nose to Pinky's and rubbing gently. Roman may as well have not been there at all. "Pinky," he cooed. "Pinky, shh, just sleep."

"Brain..." Pinky mumbled, his brow furrowing and unfurrowing even with his eyes still shut, mostly asleep. "Tummy hurts..." He fidgeted a little as Romy wandered over to check on him too, and possibly catch a glimpse of his stomach, standing a little ways behind Brain.

"I know it does, dear." Brain rubbed his nose over his brow, worrying a little. The fever seemed to have gone up. Maybe it was just because he was hurting. Hopefully. He reached a hand down, gently rubbing the swollen belly. "It's just Bella."

Sniffling, Pinky tried to pull back up the covers. "Cold... naaaaaarf..." he whimpered.

"You said he has a fever? Didja give him anything for it?" Romy asked in a hushed voice. The belly was astounding, his old man hadn't been kidding, but Pinky certainly didn't look too good. He seemed pretty glarby.

"No, I wasn't sure how much aspirin would be too much for the baby's developing systems. And it was a small enough fever that I'd hoped it would remain that way." But it was getting worse and that was terrifying. Brain lifted the covers again, tucking him in gently. He pressed his nose against Pinky's again. "It'll be alright, Pinky."

The clone took note of the excessive affection, but made no comment on it. It wasn't the right time, and his parents had always struck him as... well, Pinky had always struck him as the type to be overly affectionate and fall in love with his own cagemate. And Brain had always been rather... handsy... with the bops and all. Maybe this pregnancy was doing them both some good with their ability to handle intimacy... though it didn't look too good for Pinky now. "I'll get him a cool cloth or something for his head," Romy told him as he made to cross the cage while Pinky shuddered and tried to roll closer to Brain.

"Yes, fine," Brain murmured, leaning over Pinky and holding onto him to keep him from moving too much. "Relax, Pinky. You're going to be just fine." He kissed him softly, left their noses touching.

Pinky calmed down enough to fall completely asleep again. By the time Romy came back with the piece of ripped, moistened paper towel, the taller mouse had nudged the blankets back down from being too hot. "Here." The clone handed Brain the cloth, since he was still closest to Pinky. "Glarb."

"Glarb indeed," Brain muttered and dabbed at Pinky's face with the cool towel before draping it over his brow. "He's fine for almost two weeks and chooses today to get sick..." But there was too much worry in his tone, drowning out the irritation he'd been attempting. "Feel his belly. Cerebellum won't settle down."

He stepped forward, eyeing the exposed stomach suspiciously for a moment, almost expecting something out of that movie "Alien" to pop right out of him. And he'd been shaved. Not narf at all. Still, he was intrigued by it, and his little sis was in there, so he placed his palm against it. His eyes widened as he felt the little kicks. "Zounds..." His hand followed the movements. "So you're my little sis... I dig that. How's it going, Bella?" Because he was not dooming the poor squirt to a name like Cerebellum. Really.

Brain looked up, hesitated a moment, and reached out to give his son's hand a pat before returning his attention to his partner. He was asleep again, but the megalomaniac was still worried. He stroked his face gently, immensely disliking that the fever had heightened. "Roman, stay here and watch... them. I need to discover how much medicine I can give him. This fever needs to be reduced."

"Sure thing, dad." Romy nodded, shooting him a thumbs up.

Brain gave him a small nod, leaving the cage to gather his laptop and scour the research journals he'd been reading since realizing Pinky's pregnancy. He _had_ read something about this, though he'd just skimmed it really. Closing his eyes, he leaned back for a moment and focused.

He had the article read in just a few minutes and was headed back to the cage with a thimble in just a couple more. A little bit of aspirin had been crushed and put in it; now Brain just had to fill it with water and get Pinky to drink. He went to their water bottle, stirring the medicine carefully until it dissolved.

Brain returned to the bed, perching at Pinky's side and slipping an arm beneath his back. "I can take care of this, Roman. Go and see what you can do about beginning the nursery. I want it finished today." Even more than ever now.

"Narf." Romy spared Pinky one last glance before leaving his dad to it. The tenderness was slightly baffling, but welcome nonetheless. It wasn't that something changed in his father, but amplified. He rolled his eyes. Clearly, he had nothing to worry about when it came to taking care of a child if he could treat Pinky in such a way.

Deciding to explore the lab to see what he could come up with, Romy found a few tubes of paint and some fabric hidden away in a drawer. They were lucky the scientists weren't all that organized, or perhaps it was just some leftovers from Pinky's projects. He also stumbled upon half a box that looked like it held jewelry once upon a time. It would make for a decent crib.

With the same focus he'd inherited from the megalomaniac, Roman fashioned the nursery in record time. He laid down a yellow rug in the corner and pushed in the painted crib, yellow with a pink trim. A mobile hung from one of the top bars of the cage and a toy box painted yellow, pink, and blue to match went beside the crib. It wasn't much, but they were mice and he knew Pinky would be delighted with it even so. He got to work on cutting a blanket out of more of the fabric. Pinky probably would've wanted to knit one himself, but since he wasn't doing so hot at the moment, Romy figured he'd save him the trouble. Besides, he didn't want to disturb his parents, it was kind of... narf the way his dad was taking care of him.

"Roman?" Brain wandered over, hands clasped behind his back. He'd finally gotten Pinky to drink his medicine and settle. Even Cerebellum had finally taken pity on her mother and gone to sleep. But now he was just staring around the nursery, quietly stunned by how much his son had managed to do. "You've been... very busy."

"Yeah, well... it was easy enough to find the stuff to make it with, the scientists are still as glarb with their things as I remember." Romy brushed off his palms. "Is it what you were going for?"

Brain reached out and gave the mobile a turn, watching it spin for a moment before tiredly scrubbing his hands over his face. "It's wonderful, Roman. I apologize for leaving you to do this all on your own."

"Don't sweat it, pop. Ma needed you and he's kinda more important than a nursery. How's he doing anyway?"

"He's sleeping soundly and, finally, so is the baby." Brain sighed, moving closer to see what he was doing. "She's going to be as energetic as Pinky."

Romy snorted, amused. "You're gonna have your hands full." He finished cutting out the square of fabric and held the blanket out to Brain. "You wanna decorate it? There are more colors and stuff lying around."

"I already have my hands full," he grumbled, taking the blanket and running it through his fingers. Babies liked shapes, didn't they? And even if she didn't, early exposure would help her recognize them as she got older. He could cut out shapes. And then later he could keep Pinky busy by letting him knit another blanket. "We're having a baby in a week. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that." He looked around at the baby things. "This... helps."

"Yeah?" Romy looked around too and shrugged. Though he had to admit, it did make it seem more real. Though nothing got realer than seeing Pinky's tummy. "Y'know, if you need help or something, when ma's still out of commission and all, you can call me up. I'm sure Bunny would be willing to help out too. She's got a soft spot for kids."

"I realize that you don't necessarily agree with my goal of world domination and imposing on you every single night would hardly be fair, but when she's a bit older, would the two of you... be willing to watch her so that Pinky and I can put our plans into action?" Brain had to talk to the blanket in order to get it all out, toying with it nervously. "It's more important now than ever that I take over. The scientists are going to try and take her from us when she gets older. She's... she'll be quite a breakthrough."

Romy watched his dad talk to the blanket. Even if she wasn't a scientific wonder, being a female, she'd be removed to live with other females until she was ready to mate. Or for other glarb experiments. "I'll talk it over with Bunny, but I'm sure she'll be down." And it was his little sister, it'd probably be good to get her out from under the constant barrage of world domination schemes. Especially if she were more like Pinky.

"If they took her, Pinky would be devastated," Brain mumbled, leaving his own reaction unsaid. He rubbed a hand against his brow, going to gather a few materials to start sewing shapes onto the blanket. "So... thank you, Roman."

"No problem. And hey, Bella's in good hands," Romy assured, reading the reaction just fine without him having to say it. "You two wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"Of course not." Brain scowled, taking up a seat across from his son and perked his ears to listen to anymore sounds from his cagemate. He didn't quite have Pinky's verve for this particular craft, but it had proven to be a necessary skill more than once. He was certainly more proficient at the sewing machine that his simple-minded partner, but he could handle a needle and thread. He began cutting out the shapes with ease.

"Roman... Are you really of the belief that Pinky and I will be able to raise her properly? I had thought we were capable before, but our track record is... unfortunate if one discounts you." But Roman had been with them for such a short time, perhaps they just hadn't had enough time to ruin him. Frowning, he stitched a blue hexagon with yellow thread, keeping Pinky's fondness of yellow in mind, and decided to use the yellow thread for all of the shapes.

The clone watched him, tweaking one of the colorful items hanging from the mobile. "Well, yeah. I mean, your track record isn't so narf... but then again all of them had ulterior motives. You were trying to take over the world through them. Bella's not part of some scheme, and you're already invested in her." He gestured to the blanket and then nodded in Pinky's direction. "You'll be fine. You're not all that bad of parents. I mean, I mainly left 'cause you guys were cramping my style, bro."

Brain glanced up at him, lifting a brow. But his relief was palpable despite the mild attempt at annoyance. "Bro?"

"Yeah." Romy lifted a brow back, leaning against the crib.

"Don't be a pest, Roman." Brain handed over some of the scraps of pink and blue fabric. "Cut out some shapes if you're going to sit here." He took a pink triangle and started to attach it, looking down to once again speak to the blanket. "You are staying until Pinky awakens, aren't you? He'd be glad to see you."

Romy rolled his eyes, but started cutting out shapes anyway. "Sure, it's been a while since I've last talked to him." And a part of him wanted to make sure he was alright. "How are things between you guys anyway? Other than the baby."

"Normal enough," he hedged and cleared his throat. He had to undo a stitch, the question causing Brain's fingers to fumble. "Barring a few... mild new developments."

"Mild? Dad, you showed him more affection in five minutes than I'd ever seen... ever." He shook his head, stitching a pink star onto the blanket.

Brain scowled, getting to work on a blue circle. "Well, I'm hardly going to bop him while he's feverish." Never mind that he hadn't bopped or tugged or any of his normal things since the scientists had first taken Pinky away from him. And the kisses. Those were certainly more than mild, but they were hardly things one discussed with their child.

"Don't get all defensive, pop. I think it's pretty narf. Much better than all the bickering you guys used to do." Though it was never really bickering, more like Brain snapping at everything and Pinky testing all the boundaries while refusing to listen at the same time. Not to mention the taller mouse got more time-outs than he did.

"Pinky's far too hormonal to argue with. The less he cries, the better." Brain sighed, spreading out the blanket to see just where there was more room. It was a fairly tiny blanket, after all. They had a little bit more room. "Perhaps a heptagon and a parallelogram," he mused, pointing where he wanted them to go, "and then we should be through."

"And a heart. Since she's a girl and all." Romy began work on a blue heart. Not to mention Pinky would like one on the blanket. "Go for a rhombus."

Rather disliking being ordered about by his son, Brain scowled. But he started a pink rhombus anyway because Roman was right. A diamond and a heart suited, even though a heptagon and a parallelogram would be more educational. The baby wouldn't even have open eyes for a while. He could worry about developing her visual memory when that actually occurred.

"Narf, dad," Romy complimented once the blanket was through. Just in time for another blanket to start rustling. "Ah, sleeping beauty awakens."

Pinky rolled from one side to the other several times before settling on his back. He blinked up at the bars above him and yawned, stretching his arms up above him. Feeling slightly warmish, he nudged the blankets down some to free up his arms, but he left his tummy covered. Oh, how wonderful. Neither Sara Bella nor the alien were moving. He gave his belly a pat and sighed, taking his time to fully wake up. He still felt a bit groggy.

Brain pushed the blanket to his clone, quickly made his way to the side of the bed and laid a hand on Pinky's brow. The fever had already gone down. He let out a relieved sigh, sliding his hand down to cup his partner's cheek. "Feeling better, my dear?"

"Troz... I think so, Brain. My tummy doesn't hurt anymore." He nuzzled his hand, smiling softly up at his cagemate. "'Cept I'm hungry."

"Of course you are," he grumbled, leaning down to rub their noses together. "You haven't eaten anything all day. What do you want?"

Pinky hummed as he thought for a minute. Yep, his craving was still the same. "Pizza. With mushrooms and olives and pineapple and bacon for the baby. And extra cheese for me. Poit." He licked his lips, focusing his dreamy eyes on Brain. "And I want a kiss please."

"Since you said please, I suppose I can oblige you," he monotoned, the best teasing voice he possessed. He brought up his other hand, cupping both of Pinky's cheeks as he granted the request. He kept it soothing and warm, quite easily forgetting the presence of their clone with Pinky awake and doing better.

As Pinky wound his arms around Brain's neck and sighed happily, Romy rolled his eyes. Oh, his dad wasn't fooling anyone. Not with a move like that anyway. Deciding to leave his parents a moment alone, the clone sought out the telephone since he'd heard Pinky's first request. He might as well order up that pizza for his pregnant, hormonal mother.

"Oh, Brain, I love when you oblige me," Pinky murmured into the kiss, clearly having no idea what the word meant exactly but enjoying the results just the same.

Brain hummed in response, stroking his cheeks gently. "I'm rather fond of it myself," he murmured, breaking the kiss. He didn't go very far, pressing their noses together gently. "You had me worried, Pinky."

Blue eyes blinked curiously, only slightly dulled by the lingering fever. "Why?" He reached up to pet Brain's head reassuringly.

"Your fever was entirely too high for a little while. You're much better now, thankfully." He gave Pinky a gentle nuzzle. "Is Cerebellum still settled down?"

"Oh, yes, Sara Bella is having naptime now." Pinky nodded, bringing the hand not at Brain's head down to feel his own. Fevers happened when you were sick and he didn't want to be sick. But Brain did say he was better now. "Poit. Is getting sick normal when you're having a baby?" he asked, scrunching his brow as he tried to see the top of his head. It wasn't working.

"It's generally unavoidable, Pinky. Particularly since your body wasn't originally intended to carry an infant." Brain gave him another kiss before leaning back. "I believe all of her movement yesterday finally reminded your little mind that something new is in here."

Pinky gasped. "Egad, Brain! I know I forget a lot of things, but I haven't forgotten about Sara Bella once! I know she's there." He pouted, gaze focusing on the smaller mouse. He wouldn't be a very good mommy if he forgot he had a baby.

"Pinky, in your case, there's a difference between you knowing, and your mind knowing. And don't start getting pouty," he ordered. "Or _I_ may forget that you have a surprise." Which he'd already forgotten about. Only one of his ears dropped, color tinting his cheeks. He'd also forgotten about Roman.

The pout vanished, replaced by wide-eyed wonder for a brief moment before he beamed up at him. "A surprise? _Narf! _ Oh, what is it? What is it, Brain?"

"Well, pizza's part of it." Romy strode back into the cage, coming up beside the bed once he'd ascertained that his parents were done being all sappy. For the time being. "Hey, ma."

"Romy!" Pinky reached out for his son, giggling when he took his hand and gave it a pat. "Oh, Brain, this is the loveliest surprise ever!"

Brain's ears both flattened for a moment as he battled the blush away, popping to their normal positions when he was satisfied. "Roman's presence isn't quite the entire surprise, Pinky. Are you able to stand?"

Ecstatic with the prospect of there being more, the taller mouse nodded. "Mmhm! I've been lying around for ages," he told him as he grabbed Brain's hand with his free one, as if that meant it was now time to stand up regardless of anything else. "_Narf! _ What's the rest of it?"

"You'll see when you get up. Roman did something special for you." Brain slid an arm behind his back, carefully helping him sit up. "If this hurts, you're lying right back down. Understand?"

"'Kay," he agreed, making a soft sound as he stretched against Brain's arm. "_Zoooort._" While he was sore still, it didn't hurt beyond that so he smiled at Brain and leaned over to nuzzle him.

Romy smirked and took a step back so Pinky could get out of bed. "Looking good, ma."

Brain helped Pinky to his feet, the nuzzle making him blush. Roman was right there, after all. He massaged his companion's belly gently, studying him carefully. "Alright, Pinky, after we show you, you're going to sit right back down."

But he'd just gotten up! Pinky pouted, about to protest when Romy placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're still feverish, ma, and it would be pretty glarb if you got sick again. Dad was really worried." He counted it as a personal victory as the pout lessened and blue eyes considered that, simultaneously convincing him while no doubt embarrassing his other parent. "And won't it be narf to eat your pizza in bed?"

Pinky had to agree that it would be. "_Narf,_" he sighed and nodded. He didn't want to make Brain more worried and he was getting a surprise and a pizza, so he supposed he should be happy with that.

"Thank you, Roman," Brain grumbled, not appreciating how Pinky had been convinced, but glad that he at least had been. He rested a hand on the small of Pinky's back to guide him. "Come along, Pinky."

The surprise perking him back up, Pinky started walk-waddling as Brain led him. He didn't notice his son trying to hide his amusement, his dad was right, he did waddle. But the thought that Brain thought fondly of it amused him even more. His parents, egad, what a pair.

Rubbing his tummy, Pinky started humming 'baby, baby, baby' and gazed down at it. Sara Bella was still sleeping, or at least resting. Maybe she was reading a book. Brain got all still and quiet when he read. He glanced up to see where they were going, his eyes widening when he saw all the yellow. "Poit."

Suddenly feeling a little nervous, Brain began rubbing Pinky's back. "I know you were looking forward to decorating the nursery, Pinky, but with you being sick..."

"Dad just wanted you to have something to cheer you up," Romy added, glancing up at his parent.

He didn't know if he wanted to sweep Brain up in a hug and kiss him or cry. So he settled for both. He couldn't very well do the first, but he tried to lean down to embrace him. "It's beautiful!" he bawled. "Zounds, Brain, it's a nursery! And it's all yellow! It's so happy!" And even though his tears were happy ones, it made quite the juxtaposition.

"Pinky, don't bend over," Brain grumbled, the order automatic. Yet he rose to his toes to give Pinky a better hug and rub their noses together. The tears made him uncomfortable, but he supposed he should've expected them. "I'm glad you like it, my dear," he said quietly.

"Oh, I love it!" He nuzzled gratefully, giving him a kiss. "It's the best surprise! After Romy," he added, reaching back to try and get his son into the hug.

Romy held up his hands. "I'm good, ma. I'll take my hug once you're done with dad's."

"'Kay!" That was good, because Sara Bella made it very hard to hug more than one person at a time. So he wrapped both arms around Brain and kissed him again.

"Pinky, don't do that in front of Roman," Brain protested, feeling his face heating with a blush.

"Because why?" Pinky asked, kissing one of the red cheeks.

"Because I'm sure he doesn't want to see his parents kissing," he muttered, the blush only deepening.

"Oh." Pinky leaned back quickly, his balance getting thrown off for a moment until their clone steadied him. "Sorry."

Romy shrugged it off. "Don't sweat it, ma. It is what most parents do." He gave his shoulder a pat, smiling when Pinky beamed at him with relief.

"Don't encourage him, Roman," Brain muttered, dropping back down and folding his arms.

"What? I'm sure Bella would rather her parents kiss than fight all the time." Romy rolled his eyes, leading Pinky over to the mobile since the pregnant mouse appeared captivated by it. He spun it around and watched his parent clap with delight. He'd probably gain more amusement out of it than the baby.

Brain watched it spin, frowning slightly. "Pinky and I don't fight all the time. Pinky doesn't fight with anyone." He went to his cagemate's side, reaching out to absently caress his swollen stomach.

Except the alien, Pinky wanted to add, but remembered how much Brain didn't believe he was there, so said nothing. He reached out and tapped one of the bird shapes swinging around. No, they didn't fight, they were best friend-boyfriends.

Romy glanced over at them. Yeah, it was true that Pinky didn't fight, but it had always been easier to include him when complaining about his parents. Even if he knew otherwise, he didn't like how it sounded when Brain was the driving force behind any argument, especially watching him with Pinky now. He truly did care about his cagemate, even when hitting him, and nothing he did was out of cruelty. But it was nice to see them this way, and felt a small pang of envy directed at his little sister who wouldn't have to deal with pressures he had. Being a disappointment. But at the same time he was happy she'd get a loving, nurturing environment from both mice. She deserved it.

"Right. Sorry, dad. Poit. It's just nice to see, that's all I'm saying," he remedied.

"Yes, well... Hm." With a small sigh, Brain reached behind Pinky to give Romy a pat. "Tell Roman thank you, Pinky. He did an excellent job."

Pinky turned and threw his arms around their son. "Oh, thank you, Romy! It's brilliant!"

"No problem, ma." He hugged him back gently, wary of the bump between them. "You and Bells deserve it."

"And she'll love it too! Right, baby?" He broke the hug to pat his belly. "Big brother made this all for you!" Pinky looked at Romy expectantly.

The clone waved at his stomach, then reached out to pat it. "Looking forward to seeing you in person, kiddo."

"I'm sure we all are," Brain murmured, absently straightening the mobile. He was far more grateful than he would've admitted that Roman had inherited this decorating ability from his other parent. And that he would think to make a mobile out of birds.

"I am!" Pinky raised his hand to include himself, then lowered it to his forehead. Achy breaky shaky, he was getting kind of dizzy. "Troz."

There was a knock on the door of the lab. "I'll get it," Romy offered, assuming it was the personal pizza his mother requested. That way his parents could have another few moments together, they probably needed it.

"Thank you, Roman." Brain took Pinky's hand, resting the other at the small of his back to lead him away. "Come, Pinky, let's get you back to bed."

"But pizza..." He looked longingly over his shoulder as Romy exited the cage.

"You and Bella can have your pizza in bed." Brain nuzzled him fondly, gave him a small tug to get him going. "And when he returns home, you and I can... snuggle again."

Pinky started walking, giving Brain's hand a squeeze. "I like snuggles," he sighed happily, nuzzling back. "And kisses too?"

"Yes. Though if you make it to bed before Roman returns, you can have an early kiss," Brain promised. "And if you're still not feeling better tomorrow, you can knit a blanket for the baby."

He liked that idea. Well, not being sick more, but getting to make something for their child. Maybe he'd do it anyway! Oh, and he liked the early kiss idea too. Pinky sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back into the pillows, reclining more than lying down. He looked around, Romy wasn't back yet. Blue eyes focused on Brain's. "Kiss please."

"You don't have to say please every time you want a kiss, Pinky. When we're alone, you can have them." The megalomaniac framed his face in his hands, leaning forward to touch their noses together for a moment. He really wanted Pinky to get better and stay better. But he wouldn't really be back to his normal self again until a few days after the baby was born. With a quiet sigh, Brain pressed their lips together and sank into a warm, loving kiss.

Pinky kissed back eagerly. This part of their relationship was still so new and thrilling, he wanted to soak up as much of this new kind of affection as he could. "But please is the magic word." He curled his fingers in Brain's fur, petting his sides.

"As you like, my dear." Brain kissed him again, enjoying Pinky's touch. One of his hands lifted to stroke the curve of his companion's ear. There was a part of him that wondered if all of this wasn't only because of Pinky's new hormone levels, but he'd managed to silence that part thus far simply because he didn't _want_ this to only be a by-product of the scientists' meddling. He enjoyed the kisses, the snuggles and pets. There were moments still where he just wanted to bop Pinky for his idiocy, so that urge was still there. So he was confident that things would return to normal once the baby was out. Brain would just prefer if normal included this as well.

"I like very much," he sighed against his lips. "Poit." His ear twitched under the attention and he wiggled happily. Pinky traced his hands up to wind around Brain's shoulders and he lapped at his mouth. "You taste like sunshine and wonderful," he giggled.

The megalomaniac blushed deeply, having no response to such an odd compliment. So he simply parted his lips and let Pinky's tongue invade his mouth, licking it warmly. Oh, yes, he thought with a soft sound, he wanted this to be part of their normal.

He hadn't expected that, but had no objections. Tugging him closer, Pinky moaned quietly as he heart began to pitter-patter really fast. His hormones spiked and with it came dizziness and fluttery feelings in his tummy. Then came a sharp kick from Sara Bella. He broke the kiss for air, his cheeks flushed as darkly as Brain's and his eyes a little dazed. "You're warm like sunshine too," he managed, swaying back and forth, not sure if he wanted another kiss now or later.

"So are you, Pinky." Brain left his nose pressed to Pinky's, giving them both time to catch their breaths. One of his hands slid down to rest on Pinky's tummy, caressing gently while he breathed in his partner's exuded hormones and fought off his reaction to them.

His body trembled with how warm he felt. Oh, he wanted. Wanted to be so close and breathe Brain in and move together. Love things, he wanted them. "Brain," he whimpered, tilting his head for another kiss when the loveliest aroma wafted over to him. His stomach grumbled loudly and his ears perked as he sat up straighter. "Pizza!" The itch under his skin for Brain had been effectively replaced by his longing for food. Sara Bella and the alien agreed with him by kicking simultaneously.

* * *

Pizza trumps love things. Every time.

Poor sick Pinky...  
and poor Brain having to deal with it xD you can do it, Brain! He'll be a lovely daddy!

And ROMY! Yay! I don't typically write Romy, I think I've done it twice xD But I think he turned out okay. Glarb.


	8. Chapter 8

A warning from your friendly, neighbor writers, StarShineDC and skimmingsurfaces: Mature chapter ahead, folks~

But you can skip that part, lol

* * *

As annoyed as he was relieved, Brain straightened and buried both emotions for the time being. He gathered pillows and tucked them behind his cagemate's back to help support him while he ate. The baby had kicked his hand, so he rubbed soothingly and looked up when Roman entered the cage, somehow getting the small pizza box through the cage door. "I know you're hungry, Pinky, but don't eat too quickly or you'll upset your stomach."

Pinky nodded quickly, but his eyes were following Romy and the box. "Right, Brain. Eat upset and quickly stomach."

The clone raised an eyebrow, having only heard Pinky, and set the pizza down. "I'm not thinking it's such a good idea to eat upset, ma. Remember what they say about emotional eating, it doesn't fill the void," he teased, popping open the box.

Brain rolled his eyes, going to get the tray so Pinky wouldn't make quite as big a mess as he would otherwise. He framed Pinky's face in his hands when he returned, forcefully turning his head. "Eat slowly. If you eat quickly, you'll upset Cerebellum. Understand?"

"Naaaaaaarf." Pinky nodded more slowly this time. "'Kay. I'll eat slow, Brain. Thank you, Romy," he added when a piece of the pizza was set on the tray. He blew on the slice, then took a small bite and chewed carefully.

Romy fought back his laugh at how hard Pinky was trying, snagging a couple pieces of pineapple for himself. "No prob, ma."

Brain grimaced slightly. Certain things just didn't belong on a pizza and pineapple was one of those things. "Roman, there are moments where you are very plainly your mother's son." He perched on the edge of the bed beside his partner just in case he needed anything else... and because he just wanted to touch. She was moving again, but she wasn't nearly as rambunctious as she'd been before.

"I thought he was my son all the moments." Pinky blinked at him oddly, a dollop of sauce smeared on his cheek. He'd stopped eating as slowly as he'd been before, but kept it to a normal person's eating pace, which was still rather slow for him. His gaze dropped down to Brain's hand, smiling fondly. Oh, he hoped he'd still get tummy rubs after the baby came out.

"Of course he is, Pinky. Certain moments are just more poignant than others." Shaking his head, he wiped the sauce from his cagemate's cheek with his thumb and, having no napkins, had to settle for licking it off the digit.

"Ah, yes. Poignant." He nodded sagely, as if understanding, but the word was most likely not in his personal dictionary. Pinky polished off his slice and reached for another. "Aren't you gonna have some?" He looked between Brain and Romy.

The clone shook his head. "I'm grabbing something with Bunny later."

"Your current tastes are beyond my palate, Pinky." Brain watched another drop fall on his cheek and shook his head. "You're such a mess," he grumbled and pressed a small kiss to his brow before rising to go and locate some napkins. He paused, glancing at his clone. "I wasn't... very clear on the telephone earlier. Do you need to phone her and explain the situation?"

He shrugged. "Nah, I didn't want her to jump to conclusions or anything glarb, so I just told her I felt like checking up on my folks. She said for me to call her up when I was ready."

"How are things with you and Bunny?" Pinky asked, licking his fingers to get some of the stringy cheese off, blue eyes big and hopeful. "Are you married yet?"

"Ma, I'd let you guys know if I was gonna be married." Romy shook his head, well aware that it was Pinky's interest in true love talking. And he was doubly aware of how saying a mouse and a human couldn't get married would bring out the 'why must people be so intolerant?' spiel.

Brain frowned and lowered his voice so Pinky couldn't hear. "Would you marry her if it were feasible?" Though he'd been stunned to discover that Roman was living with a human initially, it was difficult to remain disapproving of something that ultimately didn't matter.

Romy blinked at his father, not expecting him to be interested in their relationship nearly as much as Pinky. "Um... well..." How to explain this to your parent? "Yeah, I guess. I mean, life is short and you gotta enjoy the time you got with the people you love. We wouldn't have a big ceremony or anything, we'd probably elope considering her family's perspective and all..." He waved his hand in the air. "I dunno, it's mostly up to her."

"Alright." Brain reached up and gave his son's ear an absently fond tweak, and then blinked, coloring as he realized what he'd just done. Clearly, his overt affections towards Pinky were getting out of hand. He turned away quickly and gathered a couple of napkins to take back to his pregnant sidekick.

Not quite shocked, but still fairly surprised, Romy rubbed at his ear and raised an eyebrow. Well, his dad was just full of surprises today. Shaking his head with a fond smile, he brushed himself off and nodded in the direction of the phone. "I'd better go call Bunny. We usually eat early and she gets cranky when she's hungry."

"Poit. So do I now!" Pinky waved his hand in the air. "I get cranky over lots of things I didn't used to get cranky about! I even got cranky about Brain once!"

"Once?" Romy asked, skeptical.

Pinky's ears drooped and he smiled sheepishly. "Maybe a little more than once..."

"Several times," Brain grumbled, tearing off a piece of the napkin to clean Pinky's face. "He even attempted to growl at one of the scientists. It was..." Adorable. "Interesting."

"Aw, cute, ma." Romy chuckled. "At least he wasn't growling at you, dad."

"Oh, I would never growl at Brain!" Pinky shook his head, sticking his nose in the air as he folded his arms across his chest. "Even if I was as grumpy-grumbly as him."

That he would pay to see. Just trying to imagine Pinky as sullen and 'grumpy-growly' as Brain... he couldn't do it.

The megalomaniac had seen Pinky try to mimic him enough times that he knew just how ridiculous a "grumpy-grumbly" Pinky could be, so just smiled slightly and patted his belly. "If he were to ever pull off a proper growl at anything, it would be an extremely odd day." He waved a hand, dismissing their son. "Go and call Bunny. It's nearly time for mine and Pinky's movie anyway."

Romy nodded and proceeded to exit the cage while Pinky nibbled on an olive. He waited until their son was over by the phone before looking over at Brain, putting on one of his more hopeful expressions. "Brain? Can we...? _Zort._ Can we do something else instead of the movie?" he asked, his voice hinting at what he wanted the something else to be. He did love watching movies with Brain, but he always fell asleep before the end and if he fell asleep that meant no possibilities for other things after. Things like love things. Or at least lots of kissing.

Flushing, Brain glanced towards the phone to make certain their clone was distracted. "You've had a very long day, Pinky. I'm not entirely certain if those activities are... suitable or wise for tonight."

"But I slept all day!" Pinky pouted, feeling as if his day was really quite short. And he didn't hurt as much or feel as hot as he had earlier, though he could tell he still had a bit of a fever. Still, love things happened in a bed, so he would still be resting, at least in his mind. It was time to use the magic word. "Please, Brain?"

He fidgeted a bit, frowning. He wasn't entirely comfortable with doing... certain things with the baby between them. It was perfectly alright and safe, he knew, as he'd given in to his curiosity at one point and looked it up. But he was fairly certain that if one of her little feet kicked him in the middle, it would effectively kill his arousal. "We can... snuggle if you'd prefer that over the film. I suppose keeping you in bed would be better than getting you to the television, anyway."

Snuggles were nice, but... Pinky frowned a little. Snuggles wouldn't satisfy the stirrings he was feeling in his belly, and it wasn't the baby or the alien causing them. Though he supposed they'd have to do for now. And while being bratty never got him what he wanted, he couldn't help but turn his head away to sulk.

Brain sighed, nuzzling behind his ear. "I know it isn't exactly what you want, Pinky. It isn't... exactly what I'd like either. But it's going to have to suffice for the time being."

"Because why?" He glared at the bars of the cage, feeling his mood rippling into frustrated territory, and jerked his head away from Brain's nuzzle. "If you want to do it and I want to do it, then why don't we? _Narf._"

Brain sighed. When his moodiness went back to its normal in and out, things would be so much better. Hormonal moodiness was exhausting to deal with. "Because you're carrying a baby and you're feverish today, Pinky. I'm not sure if the physical exertion would be good for either of you."

"But I'll be lying down." He tried to keep the whining out of his voice, but didn't quite manage it. He turned his head back to look at Brain, the frown easing back into a more familiar pout once again. "On the bed, so that's resting, right? Poit. Oh, please, Brain! I want you!"

"Pinky, those activities... aren't really conducive to resting." Though it was very difficult to resist those particular words, especially with him pouting and with Brain finding it all too easy to recall how he'd been feeling before Pinky's attention had been diverted to pizza. "We'll... We'll see, Pinky."

He could break him. Pinky ran his fingers through Brain's fur, drawing little patterns on his chest and kept his pleading gaze on him. "Is that a maybe?" he asked softly, for clarification. 'We'll see' could mean any number of things.

"It's a..." Brain swallowed, feeling a little shiver run down his spine. "Yes, it's a maybe. We'll snuggle and... see what occurs." Nothing could if he managed to get Pinky to fall back asleep, but his cagemate seemed very determined.

Satisfied with the progress he'd made, Pinky smiled again and reached out for a hug. "'Kay. _Narf!_"

The smaller mouse slid into the embrace easily, nuzzling him. "You make it incredibly difficult to think about this situation logically, Pinky."

"Good!" Pinky nuzzled back. "You're welcome!" And then he threw in a quick nip to his ear for fun.

His ear twitched and Brain scowled slightly, rubbing their noses together. If he wasn't so determined to keep Pinky in a good mood, this wouldn't even be an issue. He could've said no with ease... Though if he didn't care so much about the annoying mouse, saying no wouldn't be an issue ever. "Why on earth do you want this so badly?" he murmured.

"Umm..." Blinking as he considered this, Pinky tried really hard to figure out why. It just seemed so obvious to him. "Poit. Well, because I love you. And it's the most special way to show that. And... and I don't know. I have all these feelings inside. I just want to be as close to you as possible." He poked his tongue out to lick Brain's lips.

Brain licked back, sinking into a kiss that made his head swim. "Pinky," he breathed, wanting to press closer and give Pinky exactly what he wanted and more. "When Roman leaves, we..." Oh. Roman. Brain blinked, leaning back a little. He had absolutely no business letting Pinky work him up when their son was just across the counter. "Pinky, Roman's still here."

"I know." Pinky blinked as well when he tried to follow, only to be met with air. "_Zort._ But he's over there somewhere." And it's not like they were doing love things right this second. They were only kissing. The baby kicked him for that thought, or maybe she was only stretching, and he winced. "Now that wasn't very nice," he told her. "You'll get all the attention you want soon." Alien kicked as well. Great. This was starting again. He flopped back against the pillow and groaned, letting his arms fall across his eyes.

That was just what Brain didn't want to happen in the midst of... love things, as his partner called them. He sank onto the edge of the bed, massaging Pinky's belly. "He's over there now, but he could wander back over at any moment." He lowered his head, pressing his nose against Pinky's stomach. "Settle down, you little brat."

"Oh, don't call her that, Brain." But Pinky still reached down with one arm to pet Brain's head. "It's not her fault. It must be all crowded inside and she needs to move." Especially because the alien was there.

"How much bigger is she gonna get?" Romy had finally come back over, only being privy to this last part of their conversation.

"Well, as big as a for real baby," the pregnant mouse replied matter-of-factly, one arm still over his eyes and the clone had to roll his eyes at the helpfulness of that.

"She'll grow another couple of millimeters, perhaps, if that." Brain leaned back, looking up at their clone. "There isn't much more that her body can develop externally in a few more days. It's her internal organs that require refining."

Romy hummed thoughtfully. "Narf." It was pretty crazy that a whole person could form inside another in just a couple weeks' time.

When the kicking lessened, becoming gentle moving, which he didn't mind at all, Pinky sighed and rubbed his tummy. He looked over at Romy. "Are you gonna come see her when she's born?"

"Of course, ma. Dad's just gotta give me a ring and I'll be over."

"I'll give Pinky a few days to heal and Cerebellum time to adjust." Not to mention himself. "Perhaps after a week. Her ears will be open and she'll have some fur on her."

"What do you mean she'll have fur? Doesn't she already have fur?" Pinky looked from his belly to Brain. Egad, the alien shaved his baby. "Oh, I've done something wrong already!"

Brain sighed. "Pinky, all babies are born without fur. She's going to be pink and tiny with closed eyes. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Oh." Pinky relaxed a little. "But won't she be awfully cold?" And however would she see things? Well, he and Brain would just have to take extra good care of her and keep her warm.

Brain looked up at their clone, frowning. "This is why I programmed the cloning machine to put you around day fourteen." He turned his gaze back to his partner and patted his belly. "Her ears are going to open at about day three. Her fur will start to grow at day five. At two weeks, her eyes will open. That's why the scientists are going to put a sheet on the cage, as too much light exposure will damage her sight's development."

"That's scary." Pinky hugged his stomach. Her cute little eyes could be all hurt and not work right. He wondered what color they would be. And he'd have to wait a whole two weeks all over again to find out. Egad, babies took their time doing things.

Romy just made a face, thankful that he never had to be a naked, pink, blind thing. That was just so glarb. Of course, it meant he also missed out on a good amount of nurturing that surely happened during that time, not that he wasn't overloaded with Pinky's nurturing in the brief time he was small. Even now. "If all babies do it, ma, then I'm sure she'll be fine."

But he messed up so many things. What if he accidentally messed her up too? Two weeks... he had to be extra extra careful around her for two weeks and he forgot things so easily. What if he forgot about keeping the cage dark and ruined her forever? Pinky bit down on his lower lip and pulled his hands away from his stomach. What if he hugged too hard? Brain sometimes got all poppy when he hugged him. What if he popped the baby? "Poit..."

"Pinky?" He didn't often look worried. Actually, he never looked worried. Brain took one of his hands, entwining their fingers. "What is it?"

"I'm gonna break the baby, I just know it," he whimpered. "Just like I break everything. We can't even get through a tomorrow night plan thingy without me botching something and that's for only one night! Two weeks is a lot of tomorrow nights, Brain!" Tears filled Pinky's eyes until his stomach blurred in his line of sight.

Sighing heavily, their clone took a step back. What was it with babies making people feel so inadequate about being parents? Not narf, man.

"Pinky..." Much better at dealing with Pinky's fears than his own, Brain scooted up and wrapped his arms tightly around his companion. "Don't cry. You won't break the baby. You love her, don't you? She'll be just fine. You'll be such a good mommy, my dear, and I'll be here to help you."

"I love her lots and lots," Pinky sniffled, snuggling into Brain. "But I love you lots and lots too and I still wreck things for you!"

"That's very different, Pinky." Brain pressed their noses together, his embarrassment over being overly affectionate in front of their son trumped by his desire to calm his cagemate. "She'll be so small, you'll be careful automatically. You won't even have to think about it."

"Really? Troz. That's a relief, I'm not very good at thinking." He wiped at his eyes.

"Don't worry. It'll come to you naturally, ma. You're very good when it comes to instincts," Romy added, silently impressed that his dad had the guts to be affectionate in his presence. And that said affection calmed Pinky so quickly.

Pinky tilted his head and looked over at their clone. "Like in the jungle?" Roman could only arch an eyebrow and blink at that.

Brain rolled his eyes. "Like in the jungle, yes. Though there'll be a lesser amount of quicksand to contend with." He cupped Pinky's cheek, stroking it gently. "When we had Roman, you took to him even before you knew he was yours. You're going to make an excellent mommy to Bella as well."

Nuzzling Brain's hand, he sighed with relief. "Naaaaaaaarf." He smiled up at him. "Only 'cause you're an excellent daddy."

"Right, yeah, you're both awesome parents. Get that through your heads." Romy tapped on his mother's head, making him giggle softly.

Brain looked up at their son, giving him a small nod. "I suppose if our own son insists that we'll do fine, we have little choice but to believe it." He just hoped for the baby's sake that Roman wasn't just placating them.

"'Kay," Pinky agreed, pulling his son in for a hug too. "I love you, Romy. You're the bestest son ever. Poit."

"Aw, gee... thanks, ma." Romy hugged him back lightly. While he knew his parent loved him, it was still a rare thing to hear. "Love ya, too. It was narf to see you again." He gave him a pat on the head, then turned to address both of them. "I should probably go wait outside for Bunny. She's just gonna pull up out front."

Pinky squeezed him a little tighter. "Oh, okay... make sure you come back soon and eat plenty of vegetables."

Rolling his eyes, Brain reached out and gave his son's side a pat. "In other words, take care of yourself. And... thank you for coming today." He'd needed the assistance more than he wanted to think about and appreciated it far more than he was comfortable admitting.

"No problem, dad." Romy stepped away from the bed to survey them both. "Well, I'll keep an ear out for that phone call. Take care, ma. You too, dad. Peace." He held up the sign and gave a nod.

"Bye bye, Romy!" Pinky waved to their son, taking ahold of Brain's hand.

Brain laced their fingers automatically, trying to mentally gear himself up for what he felt needed to be expressed. The last time Roman had been to their cage, he'd left in an angry huff. That needed to be made up for, particularly after he'd done so much. He'd given Pinky their nursery and didn't seem to expect a thing in return. "Yes, Roman, goodbye. I... Well, you should know that I..." He hadn't quite been given enough time to properly prepare. "That is to say, Pinky isn't the only who... has certain emotional attachments towards you." It was the best he could manage.

Romy stared at him for a moment, then eased into a smile. "I know, dad. Love ya, too." He figured trying to hug his dad would tie his tongue for a month, so he offered him a thumbs up before turning to take his leave as he ignored Pinky's fawning. That was just a tad embarrassing.

"Oh, Brain! That was so sweet," the taller mouse gushed, bringing Brain's hand to his cheek. "Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry!"

"Pinky, how could you possibly promise yourself that?" Brain grumbled, far more comfortable with that than with the words he'd just tried to stay. He was immensely grateful that his son was enough like his mother that he understood. "You didn't even know he was here earlier."

"I promised myself just now!" Pinky nodded resolutely, Bella moved around in agreement. "_Narf!_"

Brain shook his head, caressing his belly with his free hand. "Oh, I'm sure. At any rate, goodbye, Roman. Enjoy your dinner and let Bunny know that we say hello."

"Will do. See ya," Romy said as he stepped outside of the cage, facing them once more to nod at both of them.

"Bye! And thank you!" Pinky called out again, sniffling as their son hopped down off the counter. "Poit. Oh, I miss him when he goes away..." he sighed, leaning back into the pillows.

"He'll be back soon enough, Pinky." Brain gave his cheek a fond pat. "Now are you finished with your pizza?"

He nodded, tugging on Brain's hand. "Snuggles now." And potentially persuade him for more.

Brain sighed, pushing the tray away and choosing to refrigerate the leftovers once Pinky inevitably fell asleep. "Alright, Pinky, we can snuggle now." He released Pinky, going to his side of the bed to climb in.

Rolling onto his side carefully, Pinky held out his arms to Brain, ready and willing to press as close to him as possible. "Zort. Thank you, Brain. You're the bestest best-boyfriend-person ever."

The megalomaniac scooted closer, wrapping his arms around his partner. He nuzzled him gently, their bodies pressed snuggly together. "So are you, Pinky." He pressed his nose to Pinky's brow, rubbing gently. His fever had reduced even more, which was a great relief. A sick, pregnant Pinky had been absolutely terrifying.

With a happy hum, Pinky placed a lingering kiss at Brain's neck. He wound his arms around him as well, keeping him close as he ran his hands up and down his back. "_Narf,_" he purred, tilting his head down as Brain rubbed to nuzzle back. "Brain, you're so soft... and you smell really good." Better than usual, though he didn't know to attribute it to his heightened senses thanks to varying degrees of hormones. It felt even more safe and right to be so close with him.

Brain, on the other hand, knew very well that it was hormones, yet still felt rather flattered. "Thank you, Pinky. Same to you." He pressed a light kiss to Pinky's forehead, trailed his lips down towards his partner's with more soft kisses. "Your temperature is down considerably," he murmured, letting their lips brush as he spoke. "The fever's all but gone, my dear."

"Poit. I do feel much better now," Pinky told him, pressing their lips together more firmly. "Much," another kiss, "much," and another, "much better." He nipped at Brain's lips this time, smiling coyly at him. And while he did have his reasons for being so emphatic about his health, he did honestly feel much better than he had that morning.

Blushing slightly, Brain fidgeted nervously and only ended up rubbing their fur together. Snuggling, he reminded himself. He was rubbing against a pregnant stomach, so they were just going to snuggle. "Well... Good. I was... very worried when you were ill."

Pinky nibbled on his lips some more. "I'm sorry, Brain. But you were there to take care of me, so nothing could've gone bad," he murmured his reassurances, sliding his hands down to rest right above the base of his tail.

He shivered a little, one of his own hands trailing along Pinky's side to rest on his hip. Just snuggling. "I appreciate the level of faith you have in my abilities, Pinky," he replied, kissing him to stop the nibbles.

"Troz. Well, you're so smart, Brain. You can do anything." He kissed him deeply, his head dizzy and his tummy fluttering in a way that didn't have to do with the baby or the alien. "Anything. _Narf._" One hand left the small of his back to toy with his ear.

"I know what you're suggesting," he grumbled, his ear twitching. "I can hear it in your tone." And feel it in the way desire coiled in his gut. It was almost indecent, how much he wanted to toss his excuses aside and touch. So, despite his best efforts, Brain's hand slid from Pinky's side to trail along the length of his tail.

His tail perked, arching back and up as Pinky moaned softly. "Please?" He tried petting Brain all over, running his fingers through his fur as he peppered light kisses to his face. "I'll be good," he promised, pressing closer. Their stomachs were flush together, fur rubbing, when he felt the baby kick. It wasn't painful, it really didn't bother him at all, so he made to continue while she kicked again.

But Brain was pulling away, letting out a startled little sound. He looked down, color rising. "Pinky...!" While other, normal mice didn't tend to have these qualms, Brain was certainly not an average mouse. Feeling the baby made this distinctly uncomfortable.

The warmth left so suddenly, Pinky was left blinking the haze from his eyes as he contemplated how that occurred. And the way Brain had said his name, it wasn't the way he wanted his voice to sound. "What?" he asked, unable to hide the confusion or the hurt. "What did I do?"

"It's nothing you did, Pinky. It's... It's the baby. She's kicking." He rubbed a hand over his brow, trying to clear his head. He'd been so close to giving in because, oh, Pinky would be good and every inhalation of his scent was maddening. But feeling Bella tipped the scales for him.

"But, but I thought you liked it when she did that." His hormones were all a-jumble like his head, leaving him all hot and bothered. Pinky placed a hand on his stomach, feeling around for more movement, but Bella had quieted. Somehow it felt like she'd abandoned him to deal with this alone.

"I do, Pinky, but not when we're..." He reached out, resting both of his hands over the one on Pinky's belly. "It's difficult to explain. I do want to do... certain things, but not while she's kicking me as if she disapproves."

Blue eyes glanced down at their hands. "But she doesn't. _Zort. _She wants us to be happy, doesn't she?" Looking at Brain closely, Pinky had to resist the urge to just start kissing him again. He didn't want to make him more uncomfortable if he didn't like to feel when they pressed against each other while the baby was between them. Sort of.

"I suppose so, but..." Brain slid closer since there didn't seem to be anymore movement, lifting up his hand and pressing a kiss to the palm. He just had to be more strict to himself about only snuggling. "It's difficult to remember that in the heat of the moment, Pinky. It's different when we're cuddling, but more has the potential to be uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry, Brain, I didn't mean to make you feel bad." He was going for quite the opposite really. Well, if he really didn't want to... then of course he wouldn't push it anymore. He wouldn't ask again until he was sure Brain was ready and comfortable. Pinky leaned in and rubbed their noses together. "Cuddling's good too."

"I know you aren't trying to make me feel bad, Pinky." Brain slid his arms around his companion again, gently stroking his back and nuzzling him to soothe. He didn't want to risk his feelings being hurt and having to deal with more tears.

"I love you." Pinky hugged him back, resting his head against Brain's. "For always." He had to take deep, slow breaths to make sure he didn't start crying. He was quite tired of all the tears himself. So he inhaled and exhaled quietly, basking in Brain's scent and contenting himself with that.

Hearing them in his voice, the megalomaniac pressed as close as he could and gently brought their lips together. "I... Well, I love you too," he managed after a moment. His hand trailed over Pinky's tail, the touch light. "Don't be upset, my dear Pinky."

"I'm trying not to be, Brain, honest." The kiss certainly helped, as did hearing the words and the touch to his tail. "Poit. You'll... you'll still want to be..." He met Brain's gaze as he tried to figure out how he wanted to say it. "Will you still love me the same after I have the baby?"

So far they'd only been in true lover's love since Bella came around, and the simple part of Pinky's mind couldn't help but attribute it to that. The extra affection had come from this after all, so for him a connection could be made and actually make some sense. And it worried him some, almost as much as breaking the baby. Had his mind been capable of making more connections, he might've even added his strong desire for love things to that, but realizing that was asking a little too much of Pinky.

"Pinky..." Ears falling, Brain carefully rolled his companion onto his back and leaned over him, pressing their lips together for a warm kiss. He'd had that fear himself, but hearing it from Pinky brought forth all the reasons why it was a preposterous assumption. "I cared about you before the baby. All her presence has done is bring just how much I care to light. Of course I'll still feel the same after she's born."

A small hiccup escaped him and he blinked back the tears that were still trying to force their way out. "Brain..." Pinky tentatively reached up to cup his cheek with his hand, aware of how much he liked it when it was done to him. "_Narf._ Me too. I love you before and after, too."

"I know you will, Pinky. You have that beautiful, jumbo-sized heart." Turning his head, Brain pressed a kiss to his palm, lifting one of his hands to take it and entwine their fingers. "Don't cry, my dear. There isn't anything to be sad about." He pressed their noses together, running his other hand over Pinky's side, fingers running through his fur.

Pinky shook his head firmly, then paused abruptly to consider if that was the appropriate response. He followed it up with a quick nod instead. "I'm not sad, Brain. I don't know why my eyes want to cry. Troz. I don't want to." At least he seemed to be successful in keeping them at bay. His thumb stroked Brain's hand while his other arm wound around his waist, wrist brushing against the crookedy tail every now and again.

"It's just more hormones," Brain murmured, brushing kisses beneath his eyes and snuggling closer. It was easier to forget about the baby when he was on his side, pressed against his companion. The urge to comfort was starting to slip into an entirely different urge, the transition smooth enough that Brain didn't quite realize it enough to stop it. One of his legs slipped between Pinky's as he pressed even closer and his mouth slid down, tongue lapping gently at Pinky's lips.

"I don't like them. Zort. They never feel how I want them to." His eyes had slipped closed when Brain kissed along them, only to blink open as his legs instinctively moved to accommodate his cagemate's. Before he could ask about it, the warmth of his tongue coaxed his lips into parting to allow it in rather than to let words out. He wrapped his fingers around one of the bends in Brain's tail as he pressed back as best as he could while on his back. "Brain?" he breathed out just enough for it to sound inquisitive.

"Pinky," Brain sighed in response, rocking back into the hand on his tail, the appendage lifting slightly. His leg shifted, his thigh pressing lightly against Pinky's groin. He opened dark, wanting eyes and kissed him again before lowering his mouth to Pinky's neck, tongue gliding through and beneath the fur.

Pinky flushed darkly, the sudden wave of desire scorching him. Eyes wide, he tried to move his head to the side. The intention had been to try to get some space to clear his head, because didn't this lead to things that made Brain uncomfortable? However, it only exposed more of his neck to him and wrung a quiet groan from his throat. "But Brain... I thought...?" His lashes dipped heavily and his fingers subconsciously encouraged his tail by massaging it.

The smaller mouse made a soft sound, tail twitching to try and get more of that touch. And his hormones... His scent was only becoming more pronounced, serving to further dominate Brain's senses and deteriorate the logical side of his mind. This _was_ logical, the functioning part of his mind decided to pipe up. This would help alleviate some of the emotional issues Pinky was dealing with; he'd read the papers. It was healthy and, most importantly, it just felt so wonderful to rub their fur together. And his partner tasted as good as he smelled.

"Don't worry," he said, voice low and almost purring. "Just let me take care of you, Pinky." He rubbed his thigh more firmly against Pinky's groin, nibbling softly on his neck.

His legs spread as he squeaked out a gasp. The sound of his voice only stoked the fire he felt prickling under his skin. "Brain-" Pinky started to rock against his thigh, releasing his hand to place his own against his swollen stomach. He could feel his own feelings, and it was glorious. He hadn't realized how much he wanted to be touched and touch back until the hormones spiked. As if it had a mind of its own, his hand slid up and down Brain's tail as he tried to arch his body into his.

"Just relax," Brain cooed against his neck, the squeaky little gasp going straight to his gut and setting him off like a little firecracker. His length sprang so suddenly from the usually hidden pouch between his legs, that he couldn't help but release a startled little squeak of his own. He turned a little more, twisting himself to rut against Pinky's thigh while his hand slid down to join his thigh and coax out his partner's arousal.

It didn't take much, the noise doing him in. It made something deep inside him tremble and he whimpered as his shaft broke free of the pouch. Rocking up into his hand and thigh was rather difficult with the weight of his belly against him. So he writhed against the sheets and Brain, his thigh trying to keep up with the rutting, tossing his head back to offer himself completely.

Brain closed his mouth around the pulse-point of his neck, sucking firmly, tongue lapping. "Pinky, you're so beautiful," he moaned and nipped. His hand cupped and massaged the top of his length, the fur of his thigh rubbing against the bottom. He recalled things he'd been reading in secret, used the practical knowledge to find the most pleasurable places to caress, and gave a satisfied hum when he passed his thumb over the head and found it to be damp. It distracted him from the delicious motions against his own arousal, caught between his own stomach and Pinky's leg. Brain let out a low, whimpering little noise, hips moving a little faster.

"Brain, oh... egad," he whined, hot and tingly all over. Each new touch more intoxicating and maddening than the last. His length twitched as he pushed it into Brain's hand and fur. Blue eyes, dark and dazed, locked on the cage bars above them. He wanted to look at Brain, but the mouth of his neck was brilliant. Instinct had him bringing his hand from the crooked tail around to squeeze between his thigh and Brain's erection, fondling and cupping and touching. The same primitive heat in his blood drew out pitchy squeaks for more, his heart drumming in every part of his body from his head to the tip of his tail.

Whimpering again, Brain arched back only a little to provide better access as he thrust needily against Pinky's hand. As the touch continued and his mind emptied entirely of rational thought, the low noises got higher until they were instinctive, answering squeaks. His own hand picked up its rhythm, responding to Pinky's noises, and his other slid down to knead the opposing thigh. "Pinky," he whined, his voice a warbling, desperate squeak.

Pinky planted his feet for purchase to thrust alongside Brain. He needed to be encased in the heat of his palm, only know his touch and the wonderful things it did to his body as it undulated and quivered. "Brain, Brain, _narf!_" His words no more than keening babbles. "Egad, it's so hot, Brain...! Oh, please-!" It didn't matter what he was asking for, he just needed this to keep going. His hand matched Brain's rhythm, pumping his length and thumbing the head, while his other latched onto one of his lover's ears to caress the soft curve and the pink insides.

Brain licked his lover's lips, panting against his mouth as he curled his fingers around Pinky's shaft. He was embarrassingly close already, but couldn't form the embarrassment or even the realization that he should feel it. Neither of them had ever done anything like this before after all, and his counterpart's scent and the desperation in his tone had turned his mind entirely over to instinct and emotion. "Yes, Pinky, yes!" Needing an anchor, his fingers delved into the fur of his thigh and clung while he rutted rapidly into his hand.

"Brain...!" Pinky lapped back, his lashes fluttering in a frantic attempt to keep focused on the smaller mouse and to watch him move. Heat pooled deep in his gut, suddenly overwhelming, suddenly too much and neither his body nor mind could take it. He tugged on Brain's ear, pleas spilling from him into his mouth as uncontrollable squeaks. Everything coiled tight and Brain's hand was still moving. Fast and hot and perfect, just so, so perfect. He came hard, his own hand jerking against his lover's length as his seed shot out of him, shaking him to the core.

Brain came with him on a loud, warbling squeak. His sounds and his hand was too much for him to take, the feel of him just before he'd released the last straw. He rutted his way through his release, his squeaks quieting to whimpers as he moved his hand over Pinky's shaft until they were both emptied. "Pinky..." he whispered and his head fell to the pillow. He pressed his nose to Pinky's, trying to catch his breath.

Panting heavily, his heart still racing, Pinky nuzzled sluggishly. He craved the soft contact, trying to curl into Brain as much as he could with his belly as it was. "Brain..." His senses buzzed, hyperaware of Bella's movements. No violent kicking, just gentle baby motions. "Zounds, Brain," he breathed.

Brain wrapped around him carefully, trying not to touch anything with his sticky hand. He nuzzled into Pinky's neck, stroking gently with his clean hand. He rested it on Pinky's belly, massaging gently, and only then remembered about Cerebellum. Well. So much for only snuggling. Pinky was just far too tempting, it seemed. "That was... astounding," he mumbled, ears perking as if his partner would begin making those irresistible squeaks again. Mating calls were surprisingly effective things.

"_Narf,_" he purred in agreement, cuddling close. "You're brilliant, Brain..." Pinky noticed his sticky hand despite his pleasure fogged mind and brought it to his mouth to taste. "Mm..." Oh, yes, he could clean that. It was Brain's scent only strong and everywhere, so he had no qualms lapping it up.

The megalomaniac watched in stunned fascination, feeling his body giving a half-hearted attempt at renewing his arousal. There was something extremely erotic about his lover cleaning his hand, lapping with his thick, wet tongue. His ears fell back, eyes going half-lidded. He was too drained to try for anything else, but he could make his appreciation known. "Pinky, you're gorgeous," he purred.

Pinky's ears perked at the purr, the mating calls left their effect on him as well, and he met Brain's gaze, falling in love all over again with those pretty pink eyes and the soul behind them. "Oh, Brain," he cooed, wrapping his arms around his middle to keep him close. "You're absolutely lovely, too. And all mine." The second part came without thought, the mouse too enamored to care how selfish it sounded.

"Yes," he agreed, pressing their noses together. "And you, my dear Pinky, are all mine." He rested his clean hand on Pinky's belly, sighing quietly as he came to a decision. "You may as well consider us to be married now." Because there was simply no going back now. He wasn't letting Pinky go anywhere after that, so they may as well be bound in the strongest way the megalomaniac could think of.

He could only stare at him for a minute before breaking out into an adoring smile. Rubbing his nose against his new husband's, he murmured, "I do. Poit." Then Pinky nestled into his side and placed his hand over Brain's on his belly.

"I do too," he murmured, and let his eyes close. He'd have to get up in a minute because there were a few things he needed to do and there was absolutely no way he was letting either of them go to bed sticky, but he was content to bask in the aftermath for a bit. That smile of his had gone straight to his heart, making it swell uncomfortably, and when he felt Bella roll beneath their hands it only swelled more. Either she'd waited for them to finish or he'd been too far gone to notice her motions, but now that they were through and just cuddling he was back to adoring every move she made.

Pinky watched him for a little while, his eyes steadily growing heavier. Far too content and sated to fight off bedtime tonight, he leaned over and licked the tip of Brain's nose before tucking his head under his chin against the pillow. Married. They were husbands now, forever and ever. "I love you," he told him sleepily, letting his lashes fall and caressed both his tummy and Brain's hand as he drifted.

"I love you too," he whispered after a long moment of gearing himself up for the words. "Goodnight, my dear."

"G'night, love..." Pinky mumbled back, his ear twitching to fight off sleep for that important 'goodnight', but exhaustion took its toll and he fell asleep, sticky but happy.

Brain disentangled himself carefully after a few more seconds, just watching Pinky's belly rise and fall as he breathed and marveling that there was a child inside. But there were things he needed to do before he could sleep with his new husband. That gave him pause and, after sliding out of bed, he just gazed at Pinky. His husband. They were married. Jiminy.

Shaking his head, the megalomaniac closed the pizza box and scrawled his name onto the lid with a sharpie. If Pinky didn't find himself in the mood for it before Monday, he knew the scientists wouldn't get into it; they never opened anything that said The Brain on the lid. He carted it to the kitchen and put it in the refrigerator, grabbing a block of cheese for himself as he realized he hadn't eaten anything since Pinky had awoken with a fever. And cheese suited his mood far more than food pellets at that point. He had a best friend, a lover, and a husband wrapped into one beautiful, loyal package. That sort of thing was deserving of celebratory cheese.

His appetite slaked, he went to the sink and got a small cloth. He soaked it in warm water, washing his sticky hand in the process, and then cleaned his thigh of Pinky's release, his belly of his own. He rinsed out the cloth and carried it back to the cage, very gently and carefully cleaning his husband off. He stirred a bit at one point, but Brain nuzzled his tummy and whispered to him until he fell back to sleep, and took the cloth back to the sink, leaving it in a wet heap.

When next he returned to the cage, he had gathered a big ball of yellow yarn from the basement and Pinky's tiny knitting needles from his not-toys toybox. The needles had been easy to find as Pinky didn't have many things that weren't toys. He set both down in the nursery and gave the mobile a spin, smiling warmly since no one was around to see it.

Their son had done this entire area for them. A beautiful crib, an adorable toybox, the little rug, and the blanket they'd done together. He'd never done such a simple thing with his son before and they'd gotten along better than they ever had. He wanted to take over the world for Roman now, so that he and Bunny could be married. Life was short, as he'd said. It needed to be done soon and it would be. For Romy, for Pinky, and for that precious child Pinky carried.

With a small nod, the megalomaniac made his way back to bed and slipped beneath the covers, scooting close to Pinky and resting his hand on his stomach. "I love you," he whispered. "I love both of you." He rested his chin atop Pinky's head, snuggled close and warm and loved everything about this quiet, private moment. He so rarely got them. "My lovely family," Brain purred and closed his eyes, drifting off almost immediately.

* * *

StarShineDC: When Brain's not being a brat, he really is the sweetest

You get glimpses of it in the show (more in the comics), and I just love being able to expand upon those glimpses here. Particularly since Pinky's so CUTE and Brain's just b'aw

Thanks, skimmingsurfaces, for playing a fabulous Romy and a perfect Pinky in order for me to be the best Brain possible!

* * *

Me: You're very welcome, my Brain! And thank you for being the best curmudgeon you can be! Who also happens to be the most adorable curmudgeon ever.


	9. Chapter 9

Aside from ten more emotional outbursts, seven being tears and depression and three being temper tantrums, and a second day of fever, Pinky felt that the final week of his pregnancy had gone rather well. Sara Bella had learned to sleep at night, so no kicking awoke him in the middle of the night any longer. And the alien still hadn't eaten her, so he was meeting his demands rather well. In fact, on that Friday, they both seemed so happy that it made the taller mouse happy too! For the whole day! That hadn't happened in a while, so he enjoyed it quite a bit, spending most of the day trying to snuggle, groom, and play with Brain in between bouts of coloring. Not that he didn't spend most of his days trying to cuddle with his husband, because egad, it was wonderful to be married!

So many wonderful things happened now that they were married. They were little things, but it didn't make them any less important in his eyes. Brain had always smelled good to him, he could always pick out his cagemate's scent in their home and be comforted by it, but it had shifted so subtly over the past two weeks. The hormones were probably the only reason he picked up on it, but it was so alluring that Pinky couldn't help the urge to rub against his fur and bury his face in the scent. It also spurred on his need to groom him whenever he stepped out of the cage. And Brain let him! Well, most of the time... sometimes, he supposed, it did get a little excessive. But he couldn't help it. The horgroans were infatuated and so was he.

But then one of the scientists had tugged on his tail to separate him from his husband and take him out of the cage, completely ruining his day. He'd been in the middle of some very important snuggling! And they hadn't even asked permission before whisking him away. Bad temper flaring, Pinky actually bit the one who held him, glaring up at him in an attempt to be taken back. But they just stuck him on a cold metal tray and shone bright lights in his eyes. How rude! Then they started poking him and touching his tummy and stuck him with a mean ol' jabby thing. It wasn't time to have the baby yet, Brain had said so that morning, so the scientists just needed to leave him alone.

Brain had sprung up immediately, had noticed the increased staring throughout the day and had hoped that staying in a back corner would keep them safe. But those scientists were determined and he didn't at all appreciate their placating cooing at him. He didn't need cooing; he needed Pinky. They had no need to check and make sure he was healthy. Brain had been doing that job just fine for nearly two weeks, and they could take Pinky when the baby was due Monday. Not...

Oh, dear, were they going to induce labor? Were they going to remove the baby early? It was too early! They still had three days! He paced along the bars, fur bristled, an angry growl escaping each time a human so much as glanced his way. They had _better_ not be taking his baby out too soon! Cerebellum was still developing!

When the door opened and someone reached in to push Brain back, the small mouse immediately sank his teeth into his skin in retribution. He got a dark sort of satisfaction when the scientist swore at him and darted to Pinky the moment he was deposited back into their cage. He wrapped his arms tightly around his thankfully still-pregnant husband and growled, hovering over Pinky with bristled fur.

"Brain," Pinky whimpered, pressing close against him and away from the rude scientists who were so rude. His tail stayed curled around his thigh and tummy as if to protect his lower half from their prodding. They really should've asked for permission first. He could feel Brain's growlies vibrating against his ear and nuzzled in an attempt to reassure both of them.

The human scent that lingered on Pinky disturbed Brain in an elemental fashion, so he began grooming his husband. The growls still rumbled, though they were slowly softening into purrs as the smaller mouse plucked Pinky up and carted him to bed to hide away from the intrusive scientists.

He hid them both beneath the blanket, tongue gliding through Pinky's fur, hands caressing the swollen belly. Him being taken away was absolutely unacceptable and the megalomaniac's instincts were driving him to fix anything they may have done. He nuzzled Pinky's neck, ears perked and ready for any sounds of discomfort. "Pinky, are you okay?"

"Oh, Brain, it was dreadful! They poked and they shone lights in my eyes and ears and they didn't even ask permission!" he complained, thoroughly enjoying the attention he was getting from his husband. "_Zort_. And my leg hurts." A tiny piece of gauze had been taped to his thigh when they'd drawn his blood. He pouted at it, then rubbed his cheek against Brain's shoulder. "Sara Bella didn't like them at all, she tried to kick them." Their poor baby must've been scared too, his heart had been going really fast and she must've heard it.

Brain nuzzled him gently, rubbing his belly soothingly. "She's a good baby, Pinky. She knows those scientists are just going to cause trouble." He studied the piece of gauze, deciding to give it a bit of time before he removed it. Arms wrapped around his husband, the megalomaniac kissed him deeply. "But you're both alright now. It's almost time for them to leave and then you and I have the whole weekend all to ourselves. And then Monday, Bella will be here."

Sighing into the kiss, Pinky felt his whole body melt into it. "I was scared they were gonna try and take her out today. It's not time yet. Poit." His fingers curled, clinging to Brain's back in case they tried to take him away again. Their stomachs pressed together and he could feel the baby roll between them. She wasn't ready yet, she wasn't all big and strong and still needed him to keep her safe.

Brain had been worried about that as well, so snuggled a little bit closer and let out a relieved sigh as Bella moved. "No, Pinky, they want this to work just as much as you and I do. They wouldn't do something so foolish." He nibbled his husband's lower lip gently. "But it's alright. You and Cerebellum are just fine."

Pinky's lips parted, eager for another deep kiss. "We missed you," he murmured, rubbing their fur together to mix their scents. He didn't want to smell the scientists or any other room besides this one and their cage. Under the blanket, he felt completely consumed by it and their combined warmth. This was a place that would always be theirs and that comforted him. "Naaaaaaaaarf..."

Brain rubbed back, wanting their scents to mingle and drown out that of the humans just as much as Pinky did. It felt safer that way and he very much wanted his little family to be safe. "I missed you too," he murmured, and obliged his desire for another kiss, sinking into it, tongue lapping. Pinky hadn't been gone long enough to really miss, but Brain had been absolutely terrified for a few minutes there. He supposed it could amount to the same thing.

His tail twitched and looped around them to tangle with Brain's, coiling around the bends. He reached up to stroke his husband's ear as he hummed softly. Pinky could never get tired of Brain's kisses. It more than made up for the bad manners of the scientists, and he was looking forward to having the lab all to themselves for the whole weekend as a married couple. He giggled into the kiss and played with Brain's tongue until he needed to breathe. Luckily, he had such a good baby to remind him of that.

Quivering, ear twitching, Brain panted against his lips. There was something irresistible about his taste. Perhaps it was because of the way his scent was impossible to avoid, so he had no choice but to be surrounded by it. He reached his hand down, massaging Pinky's stomach. He imagined Pinky's stress hadn't been good for her. "Are you feeling better now, my dear?"

About to answer in the affirmative, Pinky paused and his hormones decided to give him ideas. "A little." He looked down at his tummy. "But baby wants kisses, she's nervous still." Bella moved against Brain's hand in response to that. Pinky ignored it. "Yep. That's nervous alright. _Troz._ And my leg still has an owie, it needs a kiss, too." He nuzzled against him, brushing their noses together.

"Pinky, I have to wonder if it's you that wants the kisses rather than Cerebellum." Brain nuzzled him in return, nudging him gently onto his back. He slid over him to get to the opposite side and leaned over to place gentle kisses to his stomach. "I'm going to remove this gauze from your leg, Pinky. It may sting a little."

"'Kay." Pinky nodded, tilting his head to watch. He placed both hands on his belly, rubbing to continue soothing once Brain turned his attention elsewhere. The baby quieted, and it was only then that Pinky noticed the alien hadn't moved today. He'd gotten quite used to it, unable to tell if it was relief or worry that prodded his heart.

Brain removed the gauze carefully, frowning slightly at the small amount of blood on it. But at least they hadn't shaved his leg to draw blood. Idiots. "I'm going to go get the stethoscope and see how her heart sounds."

"But that means you have to leave our special in-love-husband cave." Pinky grabbed onto his hand, liking how it was just the two of them (and the baby and the alien) under the blankets. "She's okay, she wasn't really nervous, I was just kidding. Poit. Well, she might've been earlier, but then we came back and it was all better. But if you go away, it might upset her again." He knew Bella liked it best when Brain was near, despite what he said about babies being attached to their mummies first.

Brain nuzzled his belly fondly, giving his hand a squeeze. "It's because she was upset earlier that I want to listen now. It's very close to your due date, dear, and it's better that you experience as little stress as possible. I'd like to make absolutely certain that everything's alright. I'll be right back, Pinky."

He sighed and nodded, releasing his hand. "Alright. But be careful, don't let the scientists grab you and take you away." It was bad enough he'd have to have the baby alone, he was going to enjoy the next three nights of just him and Brain and no one was gonna stop him. Unless they took him away, that would probably stop him pretty well. He didn't know how to open the cage by himself.

Brain scowled, giving him another nuzzle. "They wouldn't dare," he grumbled. He poked his head out from beneath the blankets, his fur bristling almost immediately because there were a couple of them peeking in. Sans labcoats, though, which meant that they were on their way out. Good riddance. But he was still unable to help himself, growling and watching them carefully the entire time as he scrambled for his stethoscope and darted back beneath the blanket. He snuggled close to his husband, giving himself a moment while the protective instincts continued to work their way through his body.

Pinky latched onto him, nosing the top of his head and licking behind his ear. The scent hadn't changed and he wasn't in need of grooming, he just felt like doing it. Though his fur was kind of bristly, so that could be his excuse if he needed one. He paused mid-lick when he felt a dull ache low in his belly, but forced it to the back of his mind and continued gliding his tongue through his fur. He really didn't want to be all queasy this weekend, he wanted to cuddle with his husband. His sweet, growly, protective, smarty daddy husband.

Brain noticed the pause, which alerted an entirely different section of his mind. He popped the stethoscope into his ears, placing the little disc over his belly and seeking Bella's heartbeat. "Hm." It was a little slower than he would've expected for all the activity, but nothing too alarming. What bothered him was how low she was trying to settle. He knew from his readings that the baby would drop when it was almost time for delivery, but he gauged the placement and decided that she wasn't too low yet. "Alright, Pinky, you'll certainly have to relax for the next few days, but she sounds well enough."

"She's a happy baby!" Pinky sing-songed, patting his tummy. He hoped the alien was happy too, and not plotting anything drastic. "Poit. Does relaxing include a little bit of love things?" Blue eyes blinked at Brain and he lifted his hand, pinching together his index finger and thumb. "Little bit?"

"It might, Pinky, but just a bit. I don't want you to overexert yourself. She's lower than normal." Brain rubbed his tummy to show him. "She's almost ready to come out."

It hurt a little when Brain touched him, but he didn't say anything. It was probably just the horcows. If he ignored it, it would go away. And he really wanted to at least snuggle with his husband without having to worry him unnecessarily. "We're almost ready too, aren't we, Brain?"

"Of course, my dear. We have all the things we require to raise her." He'd even managed to locate and break into the store of milk they had in reserve for Cerebellum. He'd needed to test it, of course. But the megalomaniac gave his husband an inquisitive, narrow-eyed look. "What's wrong, Pinky?"

The taller mouse blinked twice. "Nothing." His skin prickled beneath his fur and he tried very hard to hold Brain's gaze. "I just want another kiss." He reached out, cupping his face between his palms.

"Alright, Pinky." But Brain was going to keep an eye on his husband. There were too many things that could go wrong in these last few days. He slid up, leaving a hand on Pinky's belly as he let their lips brush together. Their little hiding place beneath the blanket fell darker as they kissed, which made the megalomaniac feel immensely better.

Pinky stroked Brain's cheeks with his thumbs, subtly shifting so the hand on his belly slid up a little more. Away from the ache. "It's just us now," he whispered, giggling quietly as he lapped at Brain's lips. "Naaaaarf."

"For the entire weekend, thankfully." Hopefully that would mean fewer emotional outbursts. Most of them seemed to come because Pinky couldn't get exactly what he wanted because the humans were around and they were stuck in their cage. He lifted his hands to Pinky's cheeks, mimicking his cagemate as he slid back into the kiss, lips parting to grant him access.

He happily accepted, his tongue every bit as enthusiastic as he was as he explored his warm mouth. His arms wound around Brain's shoulders, his finger flicking the curve of his ear as he deepened the kiss. Oh, it would be so easy to take his mind off his stomach, it was already fogging with the delicious scent of his husband. Until the pain sharpened slightly, but he just closed his eyes against it and curled his fingers in Brain's fur. The queasiness and aches always passed.

Brain wasn't normally astute when it came to picking up on Pinky's various emotional states. It was usually only thanks to his over the top displays that he generally had an idea what he was feeling. But something felt very off at this moment, even though his mind was swimming in a rather pleasant fog. Something about his husband's scent kept trying to tug him away from the kiss. He broke it reluctantly, rubbing their noses together gently. "Pinky," he murmured, "are you certain you're alright?"

His stomach clenched and so did his eyes. "I... I think so, Brain," he replied, though he actually gave it some thought this time. His tummy certainly had never done that before. Worry swept through him, worry for the baby in his stomach that depended on him. He placed a hand over where Bella was, felt her kick, and was reassured. Blue eyes blinked open and he focused on Brain's gaze, offering up a smile. "Bella's just moving some, that's all." He kissed the tip of his husband's nose.

Brain nuzzled him, pressing their cheeks together to try and hide the worry in his expression. The change in Pinky's scent was just... It was so subtle that he wasn't at all sure what to make of it, but his instincts were relentless. He reached down, stroking lightly over his companion's swollen tummy. Perhaps he was merely overreacting? But Pinky had never scrunched up as if he were in pain just because Cerebellum was feeling a bit antsy. "Perhaps I should listen to her again." She still wasn't any lower than before from the feel of things, and yet...

Pinky stroked his back and cooed softly. "It's alright, Brain. Please don't worry." He didn't want his husband all upset just because he was in a little pain. "Bella's happy and just excited to come out, right? That's what you-" he cut himself off as he felt a wave of dread overwhelm him. Something wasn't right. It took him a moment to gather himself and nod. "Yeah... yeah, listen again, Brain..." It wasn't Bella though, not all of it anyway. The alien had finally started to move, but it hurt when he did. It also hurt when he didn't. Pinky removed his arms from around Brain to curl into himself, hugging his swollen stomach. "Ow..." His voice no louder than a whisper.

Brain's ears fell as he sat up, pulling the blanket off them both. They hadn't... They couldn't have... He swallowed thickly, picking the stethoscope back up and searching for the baby's heart. It was even slower now than it had been a few minutes prior. And while Bella wasn't any lower, she did feel as though she were trying to get lower. "Egad, Pinky..." They had. The scientists had somehow induced labor. And now they were gone for the entire weekend.

The pain was just getting worse. His insides felt like they were twisting around so much he worried that they would suffocate the baby and the alien. Pinky locked his knees together and his tail went rigid, but he managed to look up at his husband. He sounded so scared, he had to reassure him, even though he was now equally afraid. It wouldn't do any good if they were both scared, so he had to put on a brave face. "It's alright, Brain," he squeaked out, smiling with as much love he could muster even as his eyes welled up. Oh, why did it hurt so much? "P-poit."

"Oh, Pinky, of course it's alright." Brain leaned over to nuzzle him gently, trying to keep the terror out of his tone. "Sometimes babies do this. They just decide that they want to come out a little early." His mind was already racing ahead. He'd already located all of the things the scientists had set aside to use on Pinky, examining each piece of equipment the night before after his partner had fallen asleep. He'd even replaced the blade on one tiny knife. But the thought of having to cut Pinky open himself made him extremely queasy.

"W-wuh...? S-she's coming now...?" Despite being white already, Pinky felt himself go pale and clammy. How could she come now? She wasn't ready! Where would she get out? His chest heaved rapidly and he hugged his stomach tighter as if to convince her to stay in somehow. But it only hurt worse and the taller mouse moaned as his ears fell flat. "Brain...!"

"Don't do that, Pinky. Don't grab tighter." Brain grasped his hands, removing them forcefully from his stomach and letting Pinky cling to him instead. "Just listen to me: I'm going to take care of you. You and Bella are going to be just fine. We don't need those scientists. All they do is ruin things." Brain kissed him softly, shoving his fear aside and replacing it with logic. If his family was going to survive, he needed to take charge of the situation. "You just have to stay here for a few minutes while I gather a few things. Alright?"

Pinky felt wetness on his cheeks as he shook his head rapidly. He trusted Brain completely, way more than the scientists, and knew he could do anything. But the last thing he wanted was to be alone feeling like he was going to burst open or crumble in on himself. He wasn't sure which yet. Another sharp, jabby-jab of pain hit him, making him whimper. Their baby needed them, needed him to let Brain go get whatever it was he needed to help her. Biting down hard on his lower lip, fingers gripping Brain's hands, he blinked up at him. "O-only a few minutes...?" He released him shakily. "'Kay..."

"Only a few minutes," he confirmed and rubbed their noses together. "Try and sing a little, Pinky. It'll make Cerebellum and you feel a little better. I'll be right back." He pressed a warm kiss to Pinky's brow and darted from their cage, picking the lock of their cage in record time. He leapt from the counter, hit the floor running, and zipped into a different section of the lab to locate the tools he needed.

But when Brain got to the surgical tools, he had to push the panic aside and focus so he would only pluck up essentials and not absolutely everything in a terrified rush. The little blade he'd replaced. It was easy to hold and sharp enough that it wouldn't take overmuch time. Overmuch time to cut into Pinky's stomach and pull out a child. He had to stop and swallow, pressing a hand to his brow and focus on not simply fainting. Egad. A small section of the dissolvable stitches was selected next along with the sterile needle to stitch him back properly.

...Hadn't he just been thinking the previous week that Pinky was better at sewing than he was? What if he messed up? What if he accidentally cut the baby? What if he removed something he wasn't supposed to remove? He started to hyperventilate, but shook himself firmly when he realized it. This was absolutely not the time to be thinking of such things. Everything would be fine. He'd told Pinky that everything would be fine.

Once all the tools were gathered, he shot back to their cage and cleaned off the tray his husband had been using for various things and used it to hold his supplies. Egad.

Humming quietly for the baby, not all that aware he was actually doing it, Pinky watched Brain. His eyes followed his movements as he stroked his stomach, resisting the urge to curl up tightly since Brain said not to. But it hurt. It felt like Bella and the alien were even lower, but there was no where left for them to go. He apologized to his baby in his head, feeling bad he didn't have more room to give her.

The glint of the tools caught his eyes. Shiny. His heart leapt in his throat and fear gripped him for a moment before he reminded himself that this was his husband. Brain would never hurt them or let anything bad happen to the baby. She would be so safe with her daddy taking care of her. Tears flowed freely as he whimpered, his legs spreading as his body instinctively sought out some way to relieve the pressure. "Brain...?"

"It's okay, Pinky." Brain had kept a little needle hidden from his husband's sight, aware of his gaze. He walked over, keeping it behind his back and kneeled onto the side of the bed, giving his lover a small kiss. "Roll onto your side, my dear. I'll help you." He hated that Pinky was crying, hated that he was in pain. But at least he could help with that. Pinky was about to feel absolutely nothing from his stomach but dulled movements of the baby. Brain wasn't at all comfortable with the idea of knocking him out completely, so the localized anaesthetic would have to do.

Pinky obeyed, rolling towards his cagemate with a squeaky groan. His head rested near Brain's thigh, trying to focus on his scent to take his mind off of what was happening inside him. "Are you gonna help baby come out now, Brain?" He wanted to be prepared.

"Yes, Pinky, but I'm going to help you stop hurting first." He'd needed Pinky on the other side, but he could deal with this. He leaned over Pinky, stroking his back and bringing the needle over out of his husband's line of sight. "You're going to feel a small pop, but that's okay. This'll help." Swallowing nervously, he pinpointed the proper location and injected him. He petted his side with his free hand. "In just a little bit, you'll feel so much better, my dear. I love you so much. Everything's going to be fine."

The needle hurt too, just like with the scientists earlier, but he didn't move or complain because it was Brain and he was saying such nice things. Though he did cry a little harder. Until it was over and he could focus on the petting. "I know," he blubbered. "I trust you, Brain. _Narf._ And I love you, too." In fact... he was starting to love him even more as his body became more tingly than full of pain. "Poit?"

Brain pressed their noses together, breathed in Pinky's scent. "There now. Better?" He took the needle away, gently rolling his cagemate onto his back. "I want you to be able to hold Bella and not be asleep for a while, and this is the best way. Now you won't feel a thing."

"Naaaaaaarf." Pinky marveled at that, gingerly poking his stomach. His eyes widened, he really couldn't feel anything. Blinking the last of his tears from his eyes, he smiled adoringly up at Brain. "Egad, you're brilliant, love."

He couldn't even begin to describe the level of relief he felt, so Brain just nuzzled him. "Now it's time to get Bella out. Just lie back and don't look." Taking a step back, the megalomaniac turned away and rubbed his hands together to try and hide the rush of nerves. Getting rid of Pinky's pain had been the easy part. He was shaking a little as he picked up the small blade. He just had to get her out. It would take one incision and just a few minutes. Everything would be fine. He'd read all about it. He could surely manage.

Noticing the way he trembled, Pinky reached out to try and pet his side. He'd been told not to look, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be ready, and watching Brain helped that. "I love you, Brain. And Sara Bella loves you, too. And so does Romy." And the alien, surely the alien loved Brain too because who didn't love Brain? "You're a great daddy and you're such a smarty. You're the mouse who's gonna take over the world someday. _Troz._ You're my husband."

Brain stared at him for a moment before cupping his cheek and giving him a warm kiss. "I love all of you too. You're my family. Now lie back, Pinky, really. It'll make things far easier for me." He nudged Pinky back, taking a deep, steadying breath. And couldn't do it. He rubbed a hand over his brow, trying to breathe. He needed to do it before the paralyzer faded and Pinky felt the wound. At least he knew enough about repairing Pinky's injuries that he didn't have to shave him and he had a towel nearby to clean the baby off. He had everything he needed; he just had to do it.

So, steeling himself against the fear, Brain carefully made the incision, ears falling as Pinky's blood was spilled. Ordering himself to not think about it, he set the blade aside and went to work. He pulled on little gloves and reached in, blocking off the part of his mind that was trying to scream that this was Pinky, his husband, his sidekick, his entire world - Stop it, stop it, stop it.

Ears flat, he removed the baby and was very ready to simply faint. She was... disgusting. So the megalomaniac cut the cord and set about cleaning her quickly and set her in half a walnut shell, bundled in the blanket. He still had to adjust Pinky's insides so his body would go back to normal. But as he was dealing with that, and trying not to let his legs quake as Cerebellum began letting out soft squeaks, he felt something that made him freeze. His ears snapped straight, eyes going wide. That was impossible...

Pinky had been very good at not looking and staying still, pretending to be the dead fishy in the bottom of the boat, until he heard the squeaking. His ears perked and his instincts longed for her to be close, as did his heart. He squeaked back as he turned to look at her, though Brain was in the way. And not moving. Not even to zip him back up like a zipper.

Attention piqued, he tilted his head back to survey his husband. The first thing that registered was all the blood. It looked like his insides had been someone's lunch. Pinky swallowed a whine and forced his eyes to find his lover's face. "Brain? Brain, isn't it time to zip me up now? Poit. I want to hold Sara Bella."

"Just... just a minute, Pinky. I told you not to look. There's... there's something else in here." But he couldn't keep the waver out of his voice as he retrieved a second baby. This one was far smaller and, unlike Cerebellum, was a he. His tail, Brain quickly noticed, was also not wrapped smoothly around his body like it was supposed to be. It was scrunched behind him, squished like an accordion. Brain's own bent tail twitched as he separated the baby from Pinky and cleaned him, setting him beside his sister in the walnut shell. He kept his ears perked, one bent in their direction as he got Pinky's innards situated as well as he could and began stitching his husband back together. His heart began to race as Bella's squeaks became louder... and the boy's didn't start.

From the moment Brain had spoke, Pinky wanted to scream 'I told you so!' but he refrained. Very maturely, he might add, chanting it only in his mind. But at least the alien was coming out and wouldn't make his mood all wonky and force him to eat strange foods. His heart couldn't help but start racing as he caught sight of him, panicking even more so as Brain set him in the walnut with Bella. "No! Don't put the alien in with my baby! He'll eat her!" he wailed, wanting to go to her and protect her. But he was unable to sit up from being numbed and lifting his head was no good either, it just made him dizzy when he caught sight of the needle going through his skin. "Naaaaarf..."

"Pinky, stop it. Just..." He still wasn't making any sounds and Brain didn't want to explain at all what he really was. "Just relax, Pinky. I'll take of it." He cut the stitches with his teeth, picking up the shell and carrying it a ways away. He removed his gloves, rubbing Bella's stomach over the towel, but she just continued her squeaks. He wanted to pick her up and hold her tight and never let go, but his focus was on the too-quiet boy. He hadn't even seen him in all the pictures he'd taken... except now the mysterious shadow was explained. And the motions Pinky claimed to have been feeling.

"Come on, baby. You were moving before. He felt you," Brain whispered, rubbing the boy's stomach and lowering to listen for any breaths, any heartbeat. He managed to find the little thing's pulse, but it was slow and if he didn't start breathing soon it would stop. That prospect was even more terrifying than the prospect of having to open his husband up. He hadn't known about this baby, but it was still a part of him and of Pinky.

"Come on, baby," Brain whispered and breathed into his mouth, rubbing his chest and pressing carefully. He did it again and again, shaking helplessly and was ready to give up when the small baby gurgled up the fluid that had been in his lungs and finally began breathing on his own. "Oh, good... Oh, good job, baby." He rubbed his nose to his tiny head.

Pinky had no idea what was going on, not a huge deviance from the norm, but right now it was completely unacceptable. Something had gone wrong, just like he thought. The alien had gotten sick and his baby was taken away and Brain wasn't telling him anything! And he couldn't even sit up to look! Bella was squeaking, she needed her mummy! But clearly Brain didn't trust him, him and his not moving body. His body didn't even trust him. But who could blame them? He'd done everything the alien wanted and he'd made him sick anyway, it was probably a test, to see if he'd be able to take care of a baby, and clearly he failed.

And he still couldn't roll over and curl into a ball to cry properly! This was so unfair! He was losing his baby and his alien and his husband, because who would want to be husbands with someone who failed mummy tests? No one, that's who! But it didn't even matter if someone did if that someone wasn't Brain, and Brain was so smart, he could pass all the tests.

His ears twitched madly since he could still hear Bella, so he turned his head away to cry silently into the pillow. If this was going to be the only time he'd get to hear her, then he wasn't going to ruin it with his own voice.

Because he was still fairly nervous about moving the boy, Brain settled him back into the shell and lifted his squeaking sister to soothe her and take her to Pinky. But when he turned back, he was surprised to see his husband crying. He carried the baby over and perched at the side of the bed. "Pinky? Pinky, don't cry. Don't do that. Everything's just fine." Maybe. As long as the boy kept breathing.

"No, it's not," he gasped into the pillow. "I failed the mummy test! I made him sick and now I can't hold Bella and you're gonna leave me!" He fisted his hands in the blankets, because at least he could control them and he needed something to hold onto as his world was breaking.

"Pinky, I'm not going to leave. And Bella's right here." Brain tilted the still-squeaking baby towards him, even though his face was turned. "She wants her mommy, Pinky. You didn't fail anything. You did such a good job." He heard a soft, sniffling squeak and his ear twitched in the direction of the boy. He nearly succumbed to his own tears, his relief palpable. "Look at her, Pinky. She wants you."

Blue eyes snapped open and he swiveled his head around. Tears still spilling down his cheeks, he reached out for her, even before he thought to question his logic and compare it to Brain's for a new solution. "Sara Bella..." Suddenly his world didn't seem so broken and he glanced up at his husband. "But... but what about my alien?" His ears also perked at the sounds from the walnut shell, they sounded so sad and lonely. "Didn't I break him? P-poit. I didn't mean to, Brain. Honest."

"He's not an alien, Pinky, and you didn't break him." Brain gave his husband their daughter before tilting him up and pushing pillows behind his back to help keep him in a reclined position. He pressed a kiss to his brow, trembling slightly. "He's not an alien," he repeated and rose, going to the shell to pick the boy up. "Baby boy," Brain cooed, rubbing his nose to his head as he began to squeak in earnest now that he was being held. The sounds were just getting louder, Brain's trembles worsening. He had to sit beside Pinky again, showing him the baby. "He's just small, Pinky, but he's our baby too. We've got two babies."

Pinky shifted his gaze between the two. They both looked like babies and they both sounded like babies. And his heart wanted so badly to snuggle up with both of them. It was just hard to wrap his very little mind around it. He'd been convinced for so long that there was an alien and a baby... but he decided, for now since it would take a little bit of time for the thought of a baby and a baby to sink in, he loved his alien anyway.

"_Narf,_" he purred, cuddling Bella until her squeaks quieted to gentle breathing, and kept his gaze on the boy in Brain's arms. "Baby, baby, baby," he sang softly, then finally lifted his shining eyes to look at his husband. "You got our babies out, Brain."

"I did," he whispered and couldn't stop the tears from falling any longer. They dropped onto the boy's head, causing him to squeak a little more and madly twitch his ears. Brain shifted him, wiping at his eyes with one hand before shifting the towel he was still wrapped in and displaying his crooked tail for Pinky to see. He wasn't going to explain that it was all bent because it hadn't had room to form correctly, deciding his husband would get more of a kick out of it if he thought it was natural.

"Oh, Brain," Pinky exhaled, bringing Bella up to nuzzle her gently. "He's got your crookedy tail... oh, he _is_ ours!" Brushing his lips against the now content baby's head, he carefully laid her next to him on the bed. His husband very clearly needed a hug, and little baby-not-alien did too. "Come here, love," he cooed, holding his arms out to him.

Brain settled the boy into Pinky's arms before wrapping his own around his husband and burying his face into his neck. He'd been so terrified. First of Pinky's pain, then causing damage, then the boy hadn't been breathing... He held back the worst of his sobs, not wanting to disrupt the babies, but wept freely against his cagemate and clung as tightly as he dared. "Pinky," he whimpered. "Pinky, you did such a good job carrying them. You did so well. I love you. We have our family."

Carefully cradling his baby boy, Pinky shifted ever so slightly so he could wrap an arm around Brain as well. He rubbed his back gently through his tears, peppering kisses along his ear. "I couldn't have done it without you, Brain. I love you, too." He nuzzled him affectionately, then tilted his head to do the same to their son. "Troz. And you, little baby-not-alien-baby-baby. And Sara Bella. I love us all." They really were the best family ever.

His hold gentled as the tears faded, and he turned his head, pressing a small kiss to the base of Pinky's ear. "I love us all too, my dear." He reached out, stroked a finger along the curve of the boy's ear and smiled slightly when it twitched. Leaning back, Brain wiped beneath his eyes to scrub the tears from his fur. "I'm going to go and get the sheet for over our cage, Pinky. I don't want morning to come and it to get too bright in here. They also need food," he recalled. "This first." He framed Pinky's face in his hands, bumping their noses together before kissing him.

Oh, he was so glad kissing was first. Pinky melted against the pillows, cuddling one baby close to his heart, another baby nestled against his side, and the best mouse ever at his lips, filling him with more love than he ever thought possible. "Egad, I'm so in love with you," he breathed, glowing from the inside out, vivid in his smile and eyes. He just wanted to curl up with his husband and their children and sleep safe and happy, so nuzzled Brain along. The sooner he left to get the sheet and food, the sooner he could come back.

Brain drew back, sighing quietly as he gazed at his family. He supposed he should call Roman and let him know, but that could wait for the next day. He stroked Pinky's cheek gently before darting off. The megalomaniac returned soon enough with two pipets of milk and handed both to his husband before leaving again to locate a big enough sheet. He climbed over the cage, pulling it along behind him until their space was entirely covered. And then he made his way back inside, pulling the cage door closed behind him.

Pinky had fed the little boy first. He'd been squeaking still and he was just so small. He could see all his tiny blue veins and he had no fur to protect his little sad, complainy self. "Oh, I'd complain too if I were you, baby," he assured him as he watched him lap at little drops of milk. "Sorry I thought you were an alien." He whispered that last bit as he finished and set the pipet aside. The baby stopped sniffling, though still shivery and small. Pinky shifted him to one arm and scooped up Bella in the other. Two babies. Egad, they were going to have to find another name! He looked up as he heard Brain enter. "Brain, he has no name yet. Poit."

"I'm aware of that, Pinky." Brain made his way back to bed, picking up the tools he'd needed to use and pushed them aside to clean later. After Pinky and the babies were asleep. Babies, he repeated silently. Jiminy. He climbed into bed beside them, snuggling close and reaching out to touch their children. They were both so soft even without their fur. "We'll have to think of one. Cerebellum can't be the only one with a name, of course."

While his memory certainly wasn't the best, for some reason, Brain's promise to him stuck out. "You said, if we had another, I could pick the name. Right, Brain?" It would of course be something they both agreed on, but he'd get to come up with the suggestions. Pinky held the little boy out to Brain, so he could take him while he fed Bella. Even though she wasn't fussing, that didn't mean she wasn't hungry.

Brain took him, rubbing his nose against his tiny head. Such a little bitty thing. "I suppose this does count." Though who knew how long it would take his companion to come up with something sane? "Alright, Pinky, what would you like to call him?"

"Ummm..." Pinky paused in his thoughts to give Bella a kiss before bringing the pipet up for her to suckle on. A name, a name for baby-not-alien-baby. It had to be a good name, a happy name. Colors were happy. Like yellow! Oh, but he'd already said yellow and Brain didn't like that. What else was happy? Blue and pink were happy. But he was 'Pinky' so it'd be silly to have another name sounding like his own. Blue then. But Sara Bella and Blue both started with Bs. Clearly he'd get confused. He thought back to his big ol' expensive box of crayons Brain splurged on once, all the names of all the pretty colors.

Blue had Royal and Navy and Robin's Egg Blue... egad! He knew the perfect one! "Cyan." He nodded firmly, pleased with his conclusion and looked to Brain with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Cyan?" he repeated and the baby's ears twitched. Brain looked down at him, giving him a gentle nuzzle. That was probably as good as Pinky was going to get. He may as well give in before he heard something like... Orange. Besides, both Cerebellum and Cyan began with a C and he rather liked the symmetry. "Alright, Pinky." Brain leaned over and pressed a kiss to his husband's brow. "His name is Cyan."

"_Narf._" Pinky beamed, brushing his lips against Brain's cheek in return. Oh, he finally got to name one of their children! And it was Cyan! Oh, he'd be such a happy baby, he just knew it! He set down Bella's bottle once she was through and rocked her gently. Feeling was coming back to his lower half steadily and he was surprised at how sore he felt. Like he'd been cut open and had things moved around inside him and then was sewn back up. Like it, but completely different. Pinky settled his head against Brain's, watching both their children tiredly. He honestly couldn't remember a time where he wasn't tired and was looking forward to the return of tomorrow nights with Brain. But for now he was more than happy to snuggle with his family for as many nights as were necessary.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Brain turned a little, looking at their babies. Cyan was awfully small and would need extra observation. Runts could have all sorts of internal complications, so he would have to be monitored. But he was lovely and Brain would do whatever was needed to keep him growing right alongside his sister.

"Tired," Pinky sighed, stroking Bella's side. "And my tummy hurts a little. Zort. But I'm still really happy." He glanced between his girl and his boy, their size difference more obvious side by side. "Why is Cyan so small, Brain?"

"Because there just wasn't enough room for them both to develop properly and Bella took most of the space for herself." Brain kissed the base of his ear, humming softly. "But runts aren't unusual. He'll be alright."

"If I'd known, I would've made more room." He yawned, still fighting to stay awake. The babies just got here and he wanted to take care of them. Though it looked like Cyan had fallen asleep already and Bella was on her way to it.

Brain reached out, tracing a finger along the curve of Bella's ear to watch it twitch. "I know you would've. It's alright." He slid the baby girl from his grasp, holding both babies now. "Go to sleep now, my dear. I'll put the babies in their crib." And push it right over so they would be nearby.

"Can't we have a sleepover? I want them close. Poit." He rubbed at one of his eyes, his ears drooping along with the rest of him. Having babies was hard work and he hadn't even done anything. Or it seemed like he hadn't. He was just laying down and Brain did most of the work.

"I'm going to bring the crib by the bed," he assured, giving Pinky a fond nuzzle. "They need their crib tonight. Perhaps tomorrow we can make one for Cyan as well, and you can knit him a special just-for-him blanket."

Half-nodding, half-nuzzling back, Pinky waved goodbye to the twins. He pet Bella on the head softly, then Cyan. "'Kay. Goodnight, babies. I love you. _Narf._" His tail thumped against the bed once as he smiled up at his husband. "Goodnight and I love you too."

"Goodnight, Pinky." Brain pressed their noses together, giving him a small kiss. "I love you too. Sleep now."

Pinky let his eyes close as his head fell back against the pillow. His body was so drained, the lack of babies confusing it and his hormones still jumping around, unsure of how to settle, he was asleep within minutes.

Brain bundled the babies up in blankets, which may have been a little excessive, but he wanted to make certain they were warm. He carried them to their crib, settling them down gently. They were both so tiny; he was almost afraid of injuring them simply by handling them too much. He pushed the crib over to the side of the bed he shared with Pinky, peeking in a final time before going about cleaning their cage properly.

The tools had to be cleaned, but he could return them to the scientists the next day, so they were carted to the sink and wiped down. A fresh cloth was soaked and taken back to the cage so he could clean Pinky's belly where he'd made the incision. Their bed wasn't a mess, thankfully, so Brain just took the towel back to the sink and left it. He was too tired to deal with it properly, the activities of their evening taking their toll on him.

Twins. They had twins. How on earth were they going to handle _two_ babies? Brain sighed, slipping into bed beside his husband and drawing the blanket up over them both. He snuggled close, rubbing his nose against Pinky's cheek, and let his eyes fall shut. Raising twins and taking over the world. Those scientists just... enjoyed causing trouble for him. The megalomaniac snuggled a little closer, stretching out and settling in. They'd manage, he decided, drifting off.

* * *

The babies are born! Yes, babies! Didn't see that coming, did you? (except you all totally did, I'm sure... unless you thought it really was an alien... -cue creepy music-)

Bella and Cyan! Pinky and Brain's little baby-not-alien-baby-babies! Such an emotional ordeal for them too, poor Brain having so many ups and downs xD Pinky too. But it was worth it and now they can be a happy family lol.

And the scientists seriously fail hardcore lol.


	10. Epilogue

It had been a stressful two weeks. Not a horrible stretch of time, but certainly a stressful one. Twins needed quite a bit more work than just one baby would've, particularly since Cyan's too-small frame had been cause for much worry. But since his ears had popped, a day later than his sister's, the boy had been rather impossible to keep still. He wanted to explore everything it seemed, while his sister would follow until she was swept up. Then she was perfectly content to cuddle and make squeaky little noises that Pinky echoed with giddy abandon. Cyan's desire to be held and cuddled seemed incredibly random.

But all the crawling and rolling on the floor seemed to be good for his development. He was growing rather nicely and besides a few spasms of his chest that Brain had been careful to keep concealed from his husband, their little runt appeared to be well on his way to becoming a healthy little mouse.

Though now that it had been two weeks, Pinky was following Cyan all over the cage, waiting extremely impatiently for his eyes to open. Brain's own eyes rolled as he carefully bounced their sniffling daughter in his lap. Pinky had been convinced that Cerebellum just wanted her daddy, and Brain had learned to believe his husband's interpretations of the crying. He'd taken to motherhood even faster than the megalomaniac had expected, and never seemed bored by it.

He nuzzled the baby girl, sighing quietly. Her eyes hadn't yet opened either, and he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't just as eager as his husband. At least he wasn't stalking their child on all fours, rump in the air, tail wiggling. "Come now, Pinky, chasing him down isn't going to make his eyes open any faster. After all, a watched bag of popcorn never pops. Or something like that."

"Of course a watched bag of popcorn doesn't pop." Pinky rolled his eyes, continuing to follow Cyan, nudging him forward with his nose. "You need to heat it up first. Poit." And what did popcorn have to do with his happy, curious little smarty baby? Sometimes Brain was all confused.

Still, he stopped following, stopping his adventures with Cyan to lie on his belly, propping his head up on his arms. While most of his energy and normal emotional consistency had returned, being a mummy to twins was exhausting in its own right, so it was still necessary to take breaks. Though, Pinky's idea of a break was sitting still for five minutes before taking off again. It worked for him! Tilting his head, he smiled up at Brain and Bella, his tail wagging furiously. They were so very adorable. Something bumped him and squeaked in his ear. So was Cyan, who was clearly ready to be cuddled as well.

"_Narf_," he cooed, pushing himself up to sit cross-legged on the floor and cradled the baby in his lap. "Baby, baby, baby!"

"Don't exhaust him or yourself before Roman arrives," Brain cautioned, adjusting his hold on Bella to sit across from Pinky. "I'm sure he'll want to interact with both of his siblings." Not that he knew yet that there were two. When he'd called their clone, he hadn't been able to explain properly. He'd only told him that the delivery had gone well and that everything was fine.

Rolling his eyes at his husband's antics, though it was always precious to see him cuddling either of their children, Brain looked down to nuzzle their daughter. And stopped dead when bright blue eyes blinked at him. "Pinky!" he exclaimed and Bella gave a chirpy little squeak in response.

"I didn't do it!" Pinky immediately reacted, holding Cyan close as if his son could shield him from any impending wrath. The smaller twin released his own squeaky little growl, as if he knew he was being used as a buffer and was displeased. "_Zort._ Sorry, Cyan."

"No, Pinky, look." As thrilled as he'd been when the twins had started to crawl, Brain turned Cerebellum so that his counterpart could see. She was winking and blinking in odd ways, scrunching her face as she tried to get used to the change of light. But she eventually settled her gaze on Pinky and her ears twitched, happy little squeaks of recognition escaping.

Pinky's ears perked and he lowered Cyan back into his lap. Matching blue eyes went wide and he beamed. "Egad, Brain, brilliant!" he gasped in awe. "Our baby Bella has the prettiest eyes! _Narf!_ I just knew it!" He waved at her and scooted closer, careful not to jostle her brother too much. "Hi, Jingle Bells, it's mummy." He bumped his nose against hers, delighting in her chiming squeaks. Holding up a squirmy Cyan for her to see, he grinned. "And here's your brother. Say hi!"

She reached out and latched onto one of Cyan's ears, setting him off on a squeaky little tirade. Brain dislodged her fingers, shaking his head. "That isn't how you say hello," he grumbled and she gripped his finger as tightly as a baby could. Her squeaks became a purr as she looked up at him, and her father brought her up for a fond nuzzle, unable to resist. "Of course she has pretty eyes, Pinky." Brain glanced up at his husband over the baby's head. "They're just like yours."

"Are they?" Pinky blinked and tried to look, forgetting one could not see one's eyes without a mirror, only giving up when the concentration gave him a headache. "Zort. Oh, Cyan, she didn't mean it. No grumbly-growlies this early, mistah!" His reprimand would've held more weight if he wasn't cuddling him. "Be proud of Bella! She can see now, and that's hard work." The baby's squeaks of displeasure diminished, but only just, still vocalizing his complaints in a quiet manner.

"He wouldn't have cause to be grumpy if she wouldn't grab his ears." Brain shook his head and lightly touched his nose to his daughter's. "Because Cerebellum is a little brat." She squeaked at him happily, clearly having no idea that she'd just been insulted. Now that she was adjusted to having open eyes, they were sparkling already. Just like Pinky's. Brain sighed. This was going to make disciplining her difficult in the future. But then he felt a tiny hand tug sharply at his ear and that thought vanished. "Ow!"

Pinky giggled as Bella made more chirpy, squeaky sounds, almost missing the blinking of Cyan's pair of pink eyes. He gasped and held him up in front of his face with a huge grin, though his son seemed baffled by this newfound sight. It must be a big change, going from seeing dark to everything. "Looky, Brain! Cyan has pretty eyes too!" He turned him around and held him up for his husband to see. "Oh, I knew he wasn't popcorn!"

"Pinky, I never said he was. I was merely-" He broke off, successfully prying Bella's little hand from his ear and taking in the fact that his son was blinking at him. Brain settled their daughter in his lap, safely away from his ears, and reached out for him. "Trade."

"'Kay!" Pinky liked this game, either way he ended up with one of his babies! He settled Cyan next to Bella, took a moment to gaze adoringly at the twins with their daddy and eyes all open, then scooped up his daughter. "Sara Bella!" he sang, bouncing her a little, delighting in her happy little sounds. "_Narf!_"

Brain picked up Cyan and smiled slightly when the boy bumped their noses together independently. "Of course I'd let him name you a shade of blue and you don't end up with his eyes." The little face scrunched and their noses were bumped again, Cyan making the grumpy little sounds he tended towards when he was tired of cuddling and wanted to explore. "Not until you get some depth perception," Brain informed him and got a squeaky little whine in response, the baby reaching out and unhappily patting his daddy's cheek. "No."

"Oh, why can't he crawl around, Brain? Poit. He did it before when he couldn't see," Pinky pointed out as he laughed, Bella tugging on his nose. He tilted his head and kissed her several times on the cheek, his heart filling when she cooed.

"It's because he can see, Pinky, that I would prefer him not to wander. He just needs to get used to it a bit more." He closed one eye when the patting moved up, Cyan making little "eh" sounds with each swat. "You're as much a brat as your sister," Brain grumbled and got a little grumble in return. "Don't sass when you can't even speak." The megalomaniac gave his son a nuzzle, lips twitching at the huffy little squeak he got for his efforts. A very mobile little brat.

Nuzzling their little girl lovingly, Pinky smiled over at them. "Just because he can't talk doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot to say." Bella waved her arms towards Brain, eyes bright and squeaking as if she agreed. "Same with Jingle Bells. Troz."

"They're two weeks old," Brain reminded him and was bopped on the nose. He looked down at the mutinous little face and sighed heavily. It was time to resort to drastic measures, sadly. He turned Cyan around so his small glare could be fixated on his mother and started to groom the boy, licking the backs of his ears until the baby relaxed, his grumbles and protesting squeaks becoming soft purrs. He loved being clean, much to Brain's delight. It was the only thing about the child that made sense.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Pinky tilted his head, watching as Cyan's grumpy-grumpiness melted away. Oh, he was his father's son alright! "See that, Bella?" he whispered into her ear, making it twitch and the blue-eyed girl scrubbed at her face. His own ears perked as he heard soft steps approaching their cage.

"Ma? Dad?" Their older son called out.

"Romy!" Pinky cheered, hugging Bella close. "Big brother's here!"

Brain looked down even as his son looked up, pink eyes blinking curiously. He squeaked and Brain gave him a small nuzzle before passing him to Pinky. "I'll go and get him. I'll raise the sheet a bit as well. Now that their eyes have opened, we'll have to slowly introduce them to more light." He stood, bending down to nuzzle his husband before heading towards the cage door. He slipped out easily, scooting beneath the sheet over their cage and hardly ruffling it thanks to two weeks of practice. "Roman," he greeted.

The clone gave a half-wave. "Hey, pop. Good to see you're still standing. Hope you can say the same for ma."

"Hi, Romy! _Narf!_" Came from inside the cage, under the sheet, and he had to shake his head with a smirk. Oh yeah, he was fine.

"Narf right back at ya," he called out, then turned his attention back to Brain. "In all not-glarb-seriousness, how are things holding up with you guys and the little tyke?" He had to suppress his excitement at seeing his new little sister for the first time, not wanting to lose his cool.

"Things are holding up considerably well, considering an... unexpected result." Brain left it at that for a moment, going to the sheet and tugging it a bit so the other side would have a bit more light coming through. "Their eyes opened just a few minutes ago."

Their...? Wow. "You guys got busy," he teased, slipping under into the darkened cage. Sure enough, there sat Pinky with two little mice in his lap. Egad. It was his parents in baby form. The blue eyed one was bright and all smiles, while the pink one sported a scowl befitting a certain megalomaniac. "So when did baby number two happen?"

Brain slipped in behind his oldest son, studying the babies and their mother. His lovely little family, and with Roman there as well it was completed. "At the same time, actually. Cyan was hidden by his sister. Idiot scientists put them both in." He made his way over, plucking up the male twin. "Don't be difficult," he murmured and got a grumpy little squeak that was softer than usual in response. He was looking cautiously at this unfamiliar mouse, used to the scents of only his parents and sister.

"Cyan, huh? Narf." Definitely a Pinky name, but surprisingly not as bad as his usual choices. Romy smiled softly at him and waved. "Hey, little guy." Cyan's ears flattened and he gave one singular squeak in response. The clone had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing outright. Oh geez, he had The Brain down pat, with the additional adorableness babies seemed to have. "Well, same to you."

Pinky's tail swished from side to side, beaming up at his oldest son. The baby in his arms chirped for attention as well, so her mother held her up for Romy to see. "Say hi to Bella too!"

"Oh, of course. Hey, Bells, long time no see." He grinned as she wiggled happily, her own tail twitching like a spaz. "You've got quite the pair. They're split between you guys perfectly, it seems."

"What? Hardly," The Brain disagreed, scrunching his nose when the baby swatted it. "I believe I preferred when you couldn't see," he grumbled and had his nose bopped again.

Romy and Pinky exchanged glances, the taller mouse shrugging before pushing Bella into her big brother's arms. "Hold her, Romy! She likes to bounce," Pinky told him, getting to his feet as the clone blinked at the baby he was suddenly carrying. She cooed up at him, then promptly yanked on one of his ears. "Oh, she likes you!" Pinky gushed while Romy winced.

"So they show their affection by yanking and bopping?" He rolled his eyes, maybe they were more like their dad than he'd previously thought. Bella made a bunch of squeaky sounds and started to drool. Then again... He got his ear free while Pinky thumbed away the spit bubbles, clearly proud.

"Cyan's hardly showing affection. He just wants down to roam the premises and is displeased that I'm not letting him." Brain rubbed his nose against the baby's brow, and the little thing's ears fell. He stopped his bopping in favor of curling his fingers into his dad's fur, gurgling quietly. "Here, Pinky. Follow him about and let him work off some of this energy."

"Baby!" Pinky cheered, plucking Cyan up and spinning him around, at a speed safe for babies of course, before setting him down on the floor. The boy shook his head, ears flopping from side to side, to rid himself of the dizziness. Pinky dropped down beside him on all fours, rear in the air and wiggling from side to side. "Ready for our adventure? Poit." Cyan squeaked once, then crawled away with his mother following close behind.

Romy took note of the crooked tail. It really was too perfect, twins that were exact replicas of their parents. Oh, they were definitely going to be a handful. He looked into the smiling blue eyes of his sister. A handful, but worth it, he supposed. "So they're growing up all narf and such? Developing like normal babies?"

"Yes. Cyan's given me a few scares here and there, but he's turning out well. He's a very independent little devil. Bella, no spit bubbles." He wiped her mouth with a small kerchief, earned crossed eyes and a chittery little sound that was nearly a giggle. "His ears popped a day late, but their eyes opened within minutes of one another; therefore, I'm fairly certain that any health issues are behind him. Cerebellum's been developing normally since she was born."

"And the scientists haven't been bugging them? Or you guys?" He glanced over at Pinky. Clearly he'd recovered from childbirth just fine, though he still had some lingering roundness. He probably was just getting back to running on his wheel, if he even had time for that with two infants crawling around.

"Not since the Monday after I delivered them," Brain grumbled. "I knew they were going to peek, so we had the twins beneath the blankets. But since then they've been intelligent enough to leave us be. I believe they've decided that one of their colleagues took care of the delivery and is just not confessing." He rolled his eyes, slipping Bella from her older brother's grasp. "Someone will eventually take the credit, of course." He rubbed his nose against the baby's, smiling slightly while she cooed and squeaked at him.

Romy shook his head, the cute baby sounds could clearly melt anyone's heart. "And you thought you'd be a bad parent. Look at her, she loves you." Of course, he couldn't quite tell with his little brother just yet. But if he continued to follow the pattern of Brain, then surely he'd be a sucker for his mom and sister.

The megalomaniac blushed slightly, using the baby to hide the color. "She's only two weeks old, Roman. She would love anyone who gave her the proper care and attention she requires."

The clone rolled his eyes. Of course he'd be difficult and rational about it. Pinky's giggles floated over to them and Romy glanced over to see what was so amusing. Cyan had turned around and was patting Pinky on his face repetitively. "Ohhh! _Narf!_ He loves me!" he cooed, and Romy could only look between his parents with fond exasperation. How they ended up meshing so well together was beyond him. It probably had something to do with Pinky making the connection that being hit meant he was loved.

Brain shook his head, giving Bella another nuzzle before setting her down. "When they're both crawling all over him, he's in heaven. Watch," he murmured. "Bella, where's mommy?" Her ears perked and Brain pressed a kiss to the back of one. "Where's mommy?" he repeated. "Go find him. Go find mommy." Her rump went into the air immediately, tail wiggling spastically. "Where's mommy, Bella?" She squeaked excitedly, sniffing the floor of their cage and making a beeline for Pinky, pouncing on him in short order. And Brain rose, brushing himself off and trying very hard not to smile.

Pinky squeaked back with delight, trying to look over his shoulder at her, but Cyan placed his little hands firmly on his face. One on his eye and the other squishing his cheek. He fell into a fit of giggles, his tail wagging as Bella squirmed and squeaked all over him, trying to get his attention. She ended up taking notice of her brother, making cooing sounds at him as she leaned over the top of Pinky's head. He made a little growly sound in response and she smiled. Pinky had no idea what they were talking about, but he adored every second of it!

"So, it's like you have three babies." Romy observed, grinning as Bella turned around to play with Pinky's tail. "Narf."

"Yes, it is. But at least Pinky's helpful." Brain folded his arms over his chest, watching with a quietly fond expression. "He understands and can decipher the idiosyncrasies of their different cries. I'll be glad when they can speak properly, but at the moment that particular skill is invaluable." Even though the little sounds they made now were adorable and he would squeak back at them when he thought Pinky wouldn't hear.

"Probably a mother's instinct coupled with the fact that it's ma." Romy shrugged, unconsciously mimicking his dad by crossing his arms as well. "It's good to see he's back to normal though." His ear twitched as Pinky joined in the squeaky conversation between siblings, rolling onto his back and perching the twins side by side on his tummy. Well, mostly normal.

"Roman, you have no idea. I will never deal with a pregnant Pinky again." At least not willingly. If the scientists did this again, he'd deal with it. But since he was going to take over the world soon, the scientists wouldn't have a chance. "When they're side by side like that, it's easy to tell that Cyan's still smaller than she is," he said quietly, his worry mild and a parental instinct that he discounted as nonsense. Mostly, anyway. There was still a part of him that wanted to get the stethoscope and listen to make sure his heart still sounded healthy. But then he was chittering unhappily at his sister and patting Pinky's cheek and Brain's eyes were rolling. He was fine. "Pinky, it's nearly time for them to eat."

Pinky tilted his head to pout at Brain. He squeaked at first, then cleared his throat. "_Zort._ Five more minutes? It's playtime!" Bella chirped in agreement and Cyan didn't seem to care one way or the other.

"It's not like they have to go to bed, ma. It's just eating, right?" Romy watched Cyan curl up on Pinky's chest and hoped for Brain's sake that the little boy would develop some sort of voice of reason.

"You can have playtime after they eat, Pinky." Brain strode over and plucked his son up, getting a growly little squeak. But he didn't let it deter him, his desire to get the stethoscope replaced by his desire to feel the smaller twin. Two weeks and he still couldn't quite shake the memory of his baby not breathing. "Roman can help me, dear. You go and have a few minutes on your wheel; you haven't had a chance today."

Sitting up with their daughter, Pinky looked from her to Romy and Brain and back. "Are you sure you both can do it by yourselves? _Troz._"

The clone refrained from pointing out that if Pinky could do it, most likely anyone could, choosing instead to reassure him. "Of course, ma. Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Umm... my husband and son? Poit."

"It was a rhetorical question," Romy sighed, taking Bella from Pinky, who'd been somehow convinced by that.

"If you need me, I'll be on my wheel!" he chirped, tottering away.

Brain shook his head, cradling Cyan to discourage his little swats. Instead the baby squirmed and grunted unhappily until Brain rubbed his nose against the tiny brow. "Shh. You need to be fed, Cyan." At the mention of food and the gentle rubbing, he stopped squirming, tiny fingers curling into Brain's chest. Brain looked down at him, smiling slightly. His eyes sparkled a bit, too. Still finding it incredibly easy to be overwhelmed by all the emotions that swelled in his heart when he held one of his babies close, the large-headed mouse touched their noses together and was rewarded with a purr.

But then the megalomaniac felt his eldest son's eyes on him and glanced up, blushing slightly. "Ah... Ahem. The food, yes."

Romy smirked and rolled his eyes before sharing a glance with his sister. "Narf, man." He bounced her a little when she squeaked in reply, her little hand reaching up to yank on his ear again. "What have you been using to feed them?" he asked his dad, giving him a break and choosing not to tease him about how incredibly sappy the megalomaniac had become. Because there was an insane amount of sap from both his parents, but that was to be expected from the taller mouse. Brain hadn't even complained about not getting to take over the world once while he'd been here and a month had passed since his last scheme. That in itself was shocking.

"I've fashioned something to keep us supplied with milk without having to go in and out." Brain went to the babies' nursery, opening a tin that looked a bit like a makeshift refrigerator. It was filled to capacity with mouse-sized baby bottles. "For the first few days, we fed them with pipets, but that hardly made sense when they need milk for an entire month. And they were more difficult to store."

He reached in and grabbed one of the bottles, handing it to Romy before getting a second and closing the door. "They're kept at the best possible temperature at all times thanks to a small, soundless motor I fashioned." He'd needed something to occupy his mind with, which was why they also had tiny (unnecessary) baby monitors, the cribs would rock at the click of a small remote, and a few other little things that he and Pinky rarely used. But creating them had made Brain feel better.

He looked down when Cyan patted at the bottle, pink eyes narrowed slightly, and the megalomaniac realized that his little swats were to help him compare what he'd always felt to what he could now see. He pressed a small kiss to his brow. "You may be smarter than I assumed," he murmured and the boy gave a few grumbly squeaks in return, grabbing at the bottle in earnest. "Yes, yes, impatient brat." Brain turned the bottle up, smiling slightly as Cyan latched onto the nipple and began to drink, his little crooked tail swinging in disjointed wags.

Romy had to admit he was impressed, though it explained how Brain had managed to keep busy and not drive himself crazy with having nothing to do. Cradling Bella carefully, he attempted to do as his father did with Cyan, but the little girl was smiling with a wide open mouth and squirming around happily. She didn't particularly seem interested in latching on. "Yo, kiddo, it's time to eat. Your brother gets it."

"You've gotta rub her tummy and let her smell the milk first," Pinky called out from over at the wheel, trotting at an easy pace. "She doesn't like to eat what she can't smell."

"Smell the milk?" Romy stared at the bottle, then waved it in front of her nose. She blinked curiously, her little, red nose twitching. With a cheerful squeak, she opened her mouth and began to feed and Romy rolled his eyes again. His family was certainly special.

Brain shook his head, rocking Cyan carefully to slow him down. "Be careful she doesn't eat too quickly, Roman. They both have a poor habit of eating as though someone's going to take their food away." He looked back at Pinky, smiling slightly. It was very nice to see him back on the wheel, even though he wasn't reaching his usual pace just yet.

Pinky smiled back and waved, tripping and throwing off his rhythm for a moment. Laughing it off, he shook his head and went back focusing on his running. It was awfully nice that he was able to get time to play with his wheel. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it, after having the twins that is. He remembered quite well when he was forced to take it easy while being pregnant. It was one of things that made his hormones go all crazy and mad-upset-angry. But when he played and cuddled with his babies, he didn't mind at all. Though he'd done some research and it was important for mummies to find time to themselves. Daddies too, so he'd let Brain have a break when he was done. He giggled to himself, it was rather difficult to get him to put either of them down.

His ears twitched as he heard Romy ask, "How quickly is too quickly?" and his heart swelled. Oh, he loved having all his babies here in one place! Romy would definitely take to being a big brother, he just knew it.

"That's fine, Roman. Too quickly is when she starts spilling it all over herself." He looked down at Cyan when he started wriggling, and it gave him a bit of a start to see his own eyes looking back at him. He almost got that jolt when he looked at his oldest son, but these were... eerily close in expression and not just color. He shifted the boy a little higher, pressing their noses together, and Cy squeaked at him, reaching up with both hands to pat his cheeks. "You're not finished yet," he murmured and got grumpy squeaks in response. Tempted to squeak back, he shook his head. "No, I'll put you down when you finish eating."

Well, she didn't spill, but she drained the bottle much faster than her brother, probably because she didn't stop to complain like he did. It was incredible that at only two weeks they had such striking differences in personality. Romy set the bottle down when she'd finished and brought her up to lightly pat her on the back. He'd seen it on TV. Bella seemed to like it though, squeaking at everything she looked at, especially at Brain when he'd turned her to face him. She waved her arms excitedly and chirped, as if it had been a while since she'd last seen him. A mother's daughter if he'd ever seen one.

"Oh, I talked with Bunny about babysitting, and she's cool with it. Though I'll have to let her know Bella doubled," Romy told his dad, bouncing the blue-eyed baby. "How old were you thinking they should be before you get started on your world domination groove?"

Brain looked up, blinking as if he hadn't even considered it. And he hadn't, really, all of his energies focused on keeping the twins healthy, making sure the scientists stayed away, and getting used to having a husband. "Well... They at least need to be weaned, so another two weeks. And then perhaps another few days so they can get used to actual food. They'll need to leave the cage and roam around a bit, see that the world's a bit bigger than this area alone."

Looking back at the baby in his arms, the megalomaniac managed to get the bottle back into Cyan's mouth thanks to two weeks of dealing with his independent streak. "Two and a half to three weeks should be long enough."

"Right, well, the four of you seem to be doing great." Roman nodded, bending down to set Bella on the floor when her wiggling became too active. She scurried around in a circle until the wheel caught her attention. Cooing with interest, her eyes following the motion of the shiny, silver bars, she wandered over. Pinky noticed and stopped his light jog. "Hi, baby. _ Narf._" He hopped off the wheel to land on all fours in front of her, rolling over once. She chirped and mirrored him, not quite able to roll all the way over without a helpful nudge.

"Yes, though that isn't from lack of work. It's difficult having three children running about." When Cyan had emptied his bottle, Brain adjusted him to lie across his shoulder, rubbing the boy's back. He began squeaking immediately, jealous of his sister's ability to roam. Sighing, his daddy settled him down and watched him hesitate and look around as if he wanted to go somewhere else. But he finally just scrunched up his face and gave in, springing towards his mother and sibling.

Brain folded his arms, watching closely to see if there was any difference from his usual hopping. "I'm hoping the two of them don't have a very wild popcorn faze..."

"With ma around, oh yeah, it'll be a riot," the oldest son chuckled, watching as Pinky touched his nose to Bella's then to Cyan's once he flopped down in front of them, to which the little boy gave his mother a look. Pinky just giggled and licked his frowny-face forehead. That relaxed him enough, his tail giving a little wag. Then Bella crawled on top of him and ruined it, his grumpiness back. "You know you'll miss it when they're all grown up. You'll wish you had three children doing... whatever it is they're doing." Romy tilted his head to the side, Pinky was trying to groom Bella who was trying to chew on Cyan's ear who was trying to get her off him.

"Pinky, don't let Bella bite her brother. Give her something else to chew on," Brain instructed, and rolled his eyes. "I can't imagine missing this," he grumbled and watched an equally grumbly Cyan finally break free of his sister. He crawled right over Pinky, though, sitting on him and stretching out to try and reach the wheel. His ears were perked and he was sniffing at it with interest, squeaking curiously. Sadly for him, he was too small to reach, so Brain let him try without bothering to tell Pinky to have him stop.

"Oh no, Cyan. Not til you're bigger," Pinky giggled, petting his head while he placed Bella in his lap. The boy looked over his shoulder at them, but they only held his attention for a moment before he began squeaking at the wheel again. "It would squeak back if it could, but daddy just oiled it. Poit." He nuzzled their daughter, only to end up with his ear caught in her fist. "Did you need something, dear?" She just cooed softly and yanked.

Brain scrubbed his hands over his face. "Cyan's exploratory habit is just going to get worse now that he can see." And it was tiring just to think about it. He looked up when the tone of Cyan's squeaks went from grumpily curious to whiny. Tears would be next. He handled tears as well from the twins as he did from Pinky, so he quickly made his way over. He scowled, sweeping the boy up. "Pinky, just get back on your wheel. Go slowly and carry him."

"But Bella wants something. Troz. I think." Pinky winced as his ear was tugged on again. But he didn't want their little boy to cry, and Bella didn't seem to be upset. At least until he dislodged himself and held his head out of her grasp. She didn't seem to like that all too much. "I'll trade you."

Brain sighed, trading him easily. He only winced when Bella immediately grasped onto his ear, dislodging her small hand and distracting her with nuzzles. "Just be careful. No setting him down." He'd slipped right through the bars. The megalomaniac's ears flattened at the imagery that brought to mind, and the girl cooed at him as if sensing his distress, bouncing a little in his grasp.

"Of course I won't set him down, Brain. That's not what good mummies do." Pinky nuzzled Cyan, soothing the whines for the time being as he stepped into the wheel. "And I'm a very good mummy, yes," he cooed, rubbing his nose against his son's little one. "I have to be for my very good babies. _Narf._ Now, it's time for a walk, Cyan."

Brain returned to Roman's side, lest Cerebellum get any ideas about going along. There was absolutely no way the megalomaniac was going to let his husband carry both children on the wheel at the same time, no matter how good a mother he was. He nabbed a bright yellow ring out of one of the cribs on the way, waving it in front of Bella's curious nose. She recognized it, bouncing and halting her efforts to grip her daddy's ears in favor of getting the familiar smelling ring. Gurgling happily, she stuck it into her mouth and started to chew. "They've really only been this active for around a week. The first week they both preferred sleeping over terrorizing." Cyan taking several more days than Bella, long enough for even Pinky to worry a little.

Romy smiled tapping on the yellow ring and Bella blinked at him. "And you know they're only gonna get worse now that they can see." His ear twitched as a soft, nonsense song floated over from the wheel. Pinky was cradling Cyan as he walked, humming to him while the baby looked around the wheel with much interest. "Do they sleep through the night at least?" He'd heard it took babies a while to do that, and with twins it was probably worse. If one woke up, the other probably wasn't far behind.

"Bella does normally. She's very good at bedtime." He stroked a finger along the curve of her ear and she squeaked at him around her teething ring. "But when Cyan can't sleep, she'll wake up if Pinky or I don't get to him quickly enough to settle him back down. And she's an early riser just like her mother."

"Doesn't leave much time for the two of you, does it?" It took him a while to get used to that image of Brain being tender with Pinky and his mother kissing his father, but he had. With one baby couples had difficulties finding time to just relax together. With two he couldn't imagine. Romy looked over at Pinky, still singing to Cyan as he curled up into his chest.

"The two...? Oh." Brain's ears dropped in embarrassment and he cleared his throat. The baby in his arms let out a giggle-like squeak and his glower only had her making more. "Brat," he muttered and nuzzled her to avoid Roman's gaze. "No, I suppose it doesn't." Not that it stopped Pinky from trying.

Romy observed Brain's reaction casually. "Well, you have that to look forward to along with taking over the world, don't you?" Surely speaking baby all day got rather tiring... actually, scratch that. It was Pinky's life even before they had babies. He glanced up as he saw movement coming towards them. The taller mouse was rocking Cyan slowly, the baby's newly opened eyes closed once more and his face peaceful and smooth in sleep.

"Cyan got tired. Poit. And actually agreed to go to bed," Pinky whispered, relief present in his tone. Cyan was worse at being told to go to bed than he was, at least that's what Brain said. Personally, Pinky thought he went to bed at the perfect time. But their baby put up quite the fuss whenever placed in his crib for the night. He didn't like being confined or told what to do. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Pinky moved him a little so he could get one from his daddy too. "Say 'night-night'."

Brain made a quiet, relieved sound and handed Bella over to Romy. "Hold her so she doesn't grab him," he murmured and brushed his lips over their younger son's brow. He knew this probably meant that Cyan would just wake up earlier, but now he knew a way to get him to sleep. Pinky, it seemed, would be taking him on nightly walks on the wheel. "Goodnight," he whispered and stepped back.

"Naaaaaaarf," Pinky purred, carrying their son to his crib. While tucking the blanket around him, he continued humming the quiet lullaby he'd made up. "I love you, baby." He kissed his cheek. "Night-night." Tip-toeing away from the nursery, Pinky waited until he was back over to Brain and their other two children to lower back to his heels.

"I take it this is something of a miracle." Romy patted Bella's back, watching the way his mom slumped against Brain. "Narf."

"It is." The megalomaniac looked up at his husband, rubbing his stomach absently. He was clearly no longer pregnant, but Brain hadn't managed to shake the habit. "Cyan detests being placed in his crib at night. He's very... vocal about it."

Pinky sighed happily, his tail swishing back and forth lazily. "He wants to be the master of his own life and universe. Troz. But he's too little, he can't reach his bed."

"Gee, wonder who that sounds like," Roman muttered as he looked to Bella, still chomping away on her teething ring, drooling all over it. "Glarb, sis."

Brain sent their clone a mild glare before passing over a kerchief. "She only drools on things she loves," he explained, mildly amused that his son was suffering her excessive spit.

"Well, uh, thanks, Bells." He took the cloth, examining his slobber-coated arm. She squeaked out a giggle at him and he sighed as he wiped it off.

Pinky looked at them with watery eyes. "Oh, they grow up so fast. She can already make spit bubbles. I'm so proud." He dabbed at his eyes with his tail, sniffling.

"That's hardly behavior we want to encourage, Pinky." Eyes rolling, Brain gave his husband a small nuzzle. "It's rather disgusting. Once she can talk, we'll encourage her to use her words rather than her bodily fluids."

"Oh, well, talking's even better than spit bubbles." He beamed, winding his arms around Brain and rest his cheek atop his head.

"I'll have to agree with you there." Romy wiped at Bella's mouth with rag, dabbing carefully to avoid upsetting the teething ring. "Just don't start her out on words like 'thermogalvinometer'." Really. How did that make sense to teach to a baby?

"Well, no. Clearly neither of them are developing at the rate you did." Then again, Roman Numerals I's first word had been... narf. "Or the rate you were intended to develop."

Romy raised an eyebrow, glancing at Pinky. He probably still couldn't say 'thermogalvinometer', so there was that at least. And with Bella being more Pinky-ish. Roman bounced her a little. At least she didn't have the same expectations to live up to.

"I think their first words should be onomatopoeia," Pinky piped up, propping his chin up on Brain's head now. "Or kangaroo." Romy just blinked at him while Cerebellum made little gurgling sounds around her ring.

"Pinky, either of those words are highly unlikely. Childrens' typical first words tend to be simplified addresses towards their parents." He leaned into Pinky's embrace as subtly as he could, pausing mid-sigh. He flicked a glance Roman's way, ears beginning to flatten. "Ah... I belatedly realize that what I just said to you could be construed as... insulting. It wasn't intended to be."

He shrugged. "It's narf, man, don't sweat it. I didn't think you were." All it really came down to was that he wasn't just Brain's clone, there was only so much one could do when their DNA had half of Pinky's in it. Though Cyan seemed to only possess it in looks, and his fascination for the wheel.

"Well, I'm unsalted. Poit. I have fifty percent less sodium than the leading brand of ketchup," Pinky huffed, releasing Brain to cross his arms across his chest.

"That's cool, ma. You'll retain less water that way." Romy humored him.

"Exactly. And that's very important, I'm still so chubby." He held his stomach and pouted. "And not at all in the cute way like you, Brain. _Zort._ Or the babies."

"You're adorable, Pinky." The words came out in a monotone, but they were sincere and accompanied by a belly rub. "It's just natural weight gained from carrying the twins. It'll go away."

Pinky appeared unconvinced, so Romy added, "And you still have your Julian Michelle's exercise DVD. If you, y'know, need some extra motivation or whatever."

The taller mouse pursed his lips as he considered this, drumming his fingers along his arm. "That's true. It guarantees a pound a day or your money back."

"Ma, I don't think you even weigh a pound." Maybe if all five of them got on a scale, just maybe it would come out to be a pound, but even that was a stretch. "But good luck."

"Pinky, if I'm correct, you'll certainly get time on your wheel every night. One of your lullabies and a walk seems to be just what Cyan requires in order to fall asleep." He looked over at his daughter, everything about him softening considerably. She'd drifted off with the ring still in her mouth, holding it loosely. "Thankfully, Cerebellum needs much less prompting."

Tail wagging and cooing softly, Pinky sidled up next to their clone to gaze down at Bella. Romy carefully slid her into their mother's arms. They were awfully adorable when they were sleeping. He smiled and leaned back as Pinky took her over to Brain for her goodnight kiss.

Brain nuzzled her gently, slipping the yellow ring out of her grasp. Thus far she and her brother had shown no signs of inheriting Pinky's teeth; he didn't want to encourage that by letting her sleep with something in her mouth. He pressed a gentle kiss to the base of her ear. "Goodnight," he whispered.

Pinky slowly danced her over to her crib, laying her down quietly. He hummed the lullaby as he stroked her forehead and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Jingle Bells. Poit. I love you." Tucking the blanket around her, he looked between both slumbering twins and sighed dreamily. Bestest babies ever. He slipped back over to Brain and Romy, immediately wrapping their clone in an embrace. "I'm sorry I didn't get to hug you when you got here."

"It's chill, ma. You had the tykes, I get it." He patted him on the back to reassure him. "I'd better get going though, with the twins asleep and all I'm sure you guys want a breather."

"That would be appreciated, Roman. There's no telling how long either of them will stay asleep." He wiped off the teething ring and set it aside for later use. "Do you still think you and Bunny will be able to handle babysitting?"

"We'll have to drool-proof the apartment, but yeah. I think we'll be fine. Bunny already went out and bought a bunch of nursery dollhouse sets. Actually beat up a crazy coupon soccer mom to nab one of them. At least that's what she told me." He chuckled, shrugging. Sometimes his girlfriend could exaggerate.

Pinky gave Romy a kiss on the cheek, to which the clone wiped at after. "Oh, I'm sure you'll make wonderful babysitters! _Narf._ We raised you right, after all."

"Of course we did, Pinky." Brain hid a yawn behind his hand and stepped forward to give his son a fond pat. "You were helpful today. Thank you, Roman."

"No prob. It was great to meet them." He gave his dad a brief hug. "Give me a call if ya need anything. I'll see you all soon."

He hadn't been expecting the embrace, however quick, so cleared his throat and gave Roman a small pat on the back before stepping away. "Yes, well... We will."

After giving his mother another hug, Romy headed out. "Bye, ma. Bye, dad. Stay narf." Then he slipped under the sheet and out the door.

Pinky continued waving, even though the sheet kept Romy from being able to see him. "Oh, we have such lovely children, Brain. _Troz._ How did we get so lucky?"

"My superior genes." Brain glanced up at his husband, giving him a small kiss since they were alone. "And yours too, I suppose. For certain things."

"Oh, thank you, Brain." Pinky rubbed their noses together, batting his lashes before what he said registered and confusion replaced his coy look. "But we don't wear pants. Poit."

"Not those kinds of jeans, Pinky. Genes as in... Never mind. I don't currently possess the energy a thorough explanation would require." Brain pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "Now then, Pinky, why don't we join our twins in taking a nap?"

Pinky purred happily, nuzzling his husband. "Oh, yes, Brain. All snuggled together in bed. It sounds so lovely." He took his hand and lead him to their bed. "Like two bugs in a pod and peas in a rug."

"That hardly makes sense," Brain grumbled, but only kept himself close otherwise. He slid beneath the blanket, reaching out to encourage his husband to lay beside him.

He needed no encouragement, but appreciated that he reached out regardless. Slipping under the covers, Pinky curled around him. "Does it have to make sense?" he asked as he kissed Brain's forehead, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

"No, but only because it's you." Brain tucked close, rolling onto his side and snuggling. He stroked Pinky's back, pressing a kiss to his neck. "It really is alright that you're still a little round. I still find you to be... Well..." His head tilted back so their noses could bump. "You're beautiful, my dear."

Blue eyes sparkled, a bright smile spreading across his cheeks despite his exhaustion. "Oh, Brain... _narf_." He sealed their lips together in a soft kiss. "Thank you, love. I think you're quite lovely, too."

Brain drew him into another kiss, deeper this time, while Roman's rather embarrassing words echoed in his mind. It was true that he and Pinky didn't get much time to themselves. They were either too tired, the babies were awake, or the babies were in danger of waking up. But he still wanted his husband the same, loved him the same, and had grown rather comfortable with the emotions the taller mouse inspired. Actually saying the words was a little bit of a challenge except for certain moments, so he tried to say it with his kiss and the way he snuggled closer.

For the most part, Pinky had been very well-behaved, only attempting to persuade Brain to do more than kiss and snuggle twice. At least he thought it was twice... though with his counting abilities who knew how many times it had actually been. Still, he was more than happy to just go to sleep after a couple kisses, exhausted from running after two active babies all day long. Stroking the curve of Brain's ear with his thumb, Pinky hummed into the kiss, feeling the love his husband was expressing quite plainly. "I love you too," he giggled.

He only loved him more for understanding. The megalomaniac broke the kiss with a soft sound, rubbing their noses together while his ear twitched. "Good."

Pinky nuzzled him, squeaking out a sigh as he held Brain as close as possible. "I love being with our babies, but I can't wait to help you take over the world again, Brain. You've been so patient, even though I know it's your destiny. _Narf._" He brushed their lips together again. "Best daddy ever."

Brain stroked his fingers up and down his husband's back, humming into the kiss. "Making sure our children are taken care of is far more important, Pinky. We'll resume our world conquest soon enough. And we'll succeed for our children."

"They'll be so proud of you. Not every child gets to say their daddy took over the world. Poit. Or husband for that matter," Pinky contemplated, a small yawn escaping as his eyes fluttered shut. "But I'm already proud of you."

"Thank you, Pinky. They'll be proud of their mother, too, for helping." Brain sighed, one of his ears flopping so he could tuck his head beneath Pinky's chin as his eyes closed. "Goodnight, my dear."

"Goodnight, love." Pinky rubbed his cheek against the top of Brain's head. He listened to the soft breathing of their children as well as his husband's gentle exhales. And as he drifted off to sleep, he felt like the luckiest mouse in the whole, wide world. Even when one of the twins was sure to wake him up in the middle of the night, he was still very, very lucky.

* * *

StarShineDC: Damn right you're lucky, Pinky XD  
Except, y'know, your hubby is a total brat.  
And so is Cyan.  
Just like his daddy, from his pink eyes to his crooked tail.  
Though that fascination with the wheel is all his mummy's influence~

But BABIES! And ROMY! And CUTE XD  
I love the twins. They make me feel all guuuushy  
And Bella is so much fun to write; she'd adorabibble when she gets bigger  
A mini-Pinky! lol

* * *

Me: I concur with all of the above xD

Adding only that Brain is just as lucky lol.

This was basically epilogue part 1; the last chapter up will be epilogue part 2. A bonus that we just couldn't keep ourselves from writing!


	11. Bonus Epilogue

Tongue poking out the side of his mouth in extreme concentration, Pinky was about to stack his last lincoln log on his house of cards. It was the biggest, bestest, most impressive house of cards ever. It didn't even have any cards in it! He had to be very careful, the slightest movement could make it go ashes, ashes, we all fall down! And all the king's horses and king's men were pretty useless when it came to putting things back together. Almost there... a little to the left... annnnnd-

"DADDY!"

The entire tower collapsed, and Pinky went with it. "_Narf!_" Poking his head out from under the pile, he looked around for the the source of the cry. Though he wasn't being called for, Brain was awfully busy being ruler of the world and probably wouldn't appreciate being interrupted. It somehow always happened anyway, but Pinky tried to divert the attention. Unless he was the one causing the interruption, which actually happened more than with their children.

Crawling out of the rubble, he scurried across the playroom floor to peer out into the hall. Sure enough, little floppy-eared Cyan was running towards Brain's study with Bella hot on his heels. Lowering to all fours, Pinky bounded out after them. He managed to slide in front of them and swept his son up first, then nabbed his sister.

"Poit. Cyan, you're all squirmy-wormy like a worm! What's wrong? Let mummy help." He nuzzled the top of the feisty boy's head.

He pouted up at their mom, pink eyes narrowed. "Bewwa's not pwaying by the wules! She wuined evewything!"

Bella's eyes were just big and confused. She didn't fully understand what her brother was so upset about. She'd tried following the rules, but Cyan made everything so complicated. So she'd started making her own rules! But maybe she shouldn't have attached him to that sponge and pushed him over the floor... He hadn't seemed to like that too much. "But it was fun-fun silly-willy! Poit."

Cyan rolled his eyes at the all-too familiar phrase. Sure they'd grown up with it, but it didn't make it any less ridiculous. "You got me aww wet! And it doesn't mattew if it was fun, it wasn't pawt of my specific instwuctions."

"Oh, Cyan, I'm sure Bella didn't mean to make you all grumpy-scowly." Pinky nuzzled them both one at a time. "Can't she help make up some of the rules too? _Troz._"

"I'm not gwumpy," he grumbled, ears flattening though his scowl lessened some. Which wasn't fair at all, his mummy knew how hard it was to stay stern when he was cuddled. "And hew wules don't make any sense. Mine awe bettew."

"Now, now, don't be such a bossy-mean-bossy-pants, mistah. That's not manners now, is it?" Pinky advised, trying to muster up as much parental authority as he could, which wasn't all that much unfortunately. He set them both down when he received a half-hearted shrug from his son. "What would your daddy say?"

"That I'm wight." Cyan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Or I would demand to know just what's going on," The Brain grumbled, striding up to his family. He'd been determined to stay out of whatever this was, had decided to stay in his study and finish putting the next morning's speech together. But it had gotten quiet in the hall after Cyan's first shout and he hadn't been able to resist coming out to make sure their twins weren't killing one another (that is, Cyan wasn't killing Bella). "And don't roll your eyes at your moth- oof!"

"Daddy!" Bella cheered, leaping at her daddy as if it had been days rather than a few hours since she'd seen him last. "Daddy, daddy, daddy! _Narf_!"

"Yes, hello, Bella." He had to work at keeping his expression neutral when she held on as tightly as a three month old could and nuzzled him.

Cyan's scowl deepened. "No faiw! How come she gets a hug fiwst?" About to storm over to demand his own hug from their father, Pinky scooped him up again to prevent any squabbles. Last time, their son had bopped their daughter, and while she hadn't minded, Brain had put him on a really long time out and Pinky felt absolutely miserable having to listen to both twins whine and cry (Cyan for being punished and Bella for losing her playmate).

"You get a mummy hug, baby, isn't that just as good?" Pinky rocked him back and forth until his squirming ceased again. "_Zort. _ Don't worry, Brain, I have it all under control! Sort of..." He glanced at Cyan's fur, it was a little wet. What was this game, and could he play too?

"I'm sure you do, Pinky." Though the interested gleam in Pinky's eyes didn't bode well for their son's sanity or for Brain's work. He glanced down when he heard quiet purring and his heart just melted. He properly returned Bella's hug, swaying side to side. The scientists had managed to take them after two months of Brain's diligence in keeping them safe in their cage. They'd taken them out and Brain had been forced to suffer through their distraught mother crying himself hoarse. Cyan had been terrified and hiding away in a corner of the cage they'd put him in with unfamiliar mice and hadn't managed to sleep that entire night. Bella had made friends with a piece of straw, but she'd been telling it how much she missed her parents and grumpy-growly brother when they'd found her.

And the world had been Brain's the next night. Particularly since the scientists had seen them all back together and tried to separate them again. They'd thought better of it when Brain's teeth had broken their skin.

But now there were clearly other issues to attend to. Cyan had gotten wet. He hated getting wet. "I'm out here, however, so I may as well know what's happened." Brain pressed a kiss to his daughter's brow and set her down, letting her hug his tail while he reached out for her brother. "Come here, Cyan, and explain. Why are you wet?"

"I put him on a sponge!" the girl chirped. "_Zort_."

"Exactwy! Do you know how many gewms awe on sponges? It's disgusting!" Cyan scrunched up one eye as his mother pressed a kiss to the side of his head before handing him over to Brain. He kept his arms crossed and glanced over at his sister. "And stop saying 'zowt'. It's not a wowd."

"Oh, yes it is." Pinky nodded firmly, placing his hands on his hips. "Poit. It's in Roget's."

"Mommy says it! It's a word! It's a fun-fun silly-willy word! _Narf_!"

Brain only sighed. "I told you, Cyan. They're going to say it. It's genetic nonsense." And there were generally seven billion bacteria on a typical sponge, but he felt it best to refrain from informing his already distressed son. "Bella, why did you put him on a sponge?"

"'Cause rules are hard."

"Onwy for peopoh who don't have bwains," he grumbled. "They wewen't even that hawd. We wewe pwaying chutes and waddews."

Pinky blinked several times. "Egad, I still don't understand that game. Why would people want to spend the energy to climb up ladders when they can slide down all those lovely chutes?" That was actually something that bothered Cyan about the game, it didn't make any sense unless you took into account the fact that all the good pictures paired up with ladders and all the bad ones with chutes. Though he was faintly surprised to be on a similar wavelength as his mother, so said nothing until Pinky added, "So why can't there be a sponge?"

"Mummy, it's not chutes and waddews and sponges. Get with the pwogwam."

"Oh, sorry, Cyan. _ Narf._"

"_Narf_," Bella echoed, tail wagging excitedly. She got bored with her daddy's since it didn't wiggle, so danced over to her mommy's. Maybe it'd pick her up! She hugged it, smiling brightly.

Brain sighed, ruffling the tuft of messy fur on top of Cyan's head. "One day, your mother will show you his version of checkers. You will _wish_ Bella was playing her version of chutes and ladders." He rubbed his nose against his brow, amused when the boy's big ears fell back. He was so easy to soothe, though he never stayed that way long. "I warned you against board games. She doesn't have the attention span."

His scowl becoming a pout, he blinked up at his dad. "But it wasn't my fauwt. She wanted to leawn, so I twied to teach hew."

"Oh, well, isn't that sweet," Pinky cooed, watching Bella out of the corner of his eye. He giggled and wound his tail around her waist, lifting her a little ways off the ground then set her back down only to do it again. "Trying to be such a good brother!"

"It'd be easiew if she caywed."

"I care!" she defended, giggling. Her own tail came around, looping around her mother's. "I care whole bunches! _Narf_."

Brain settled the boy on his hip, smiling slightly at his husband and their giggly little girl. "Cyan, a short attention span doesn't equal not caring. Not in your sister, at any rate. She and your mother have a very unique ability to care about things."

"That's right!" Pinky nodded, beaming. "Troz. Like right now, I have no idea what we're talking about, but I still care about you and your sister so, so, so, so much!" He moved his tail in front of him so he could hug their daughter and spin her around in his arms. One of Cyan's ears twitched up, but it fell back down as he still appeared unconvinced. Not about his mother caring, he knew that well enough, and knew his sister cared about them as a family, but she just didn't care about understanding things or logic or sense! All very, very important things.

"Twirly-whirly-swirly!" the little girl cheered, giggling happily as she was spun. But when Pinky stopped spinning, she looked back at her brother and he was still all sad and pouty. It made her sad and pouty too. She only drooped for a moment though before perking back up. She could fix it! "Daddy, daddy! _Troz_! What's a short attention span look like? Is it really short? If I catch it, can I trade it in for a longer one so Cy will be happy?" She smiled at her brother, hands clapping.

Brain just looked down, giving his pouty son a pointed look.

He hadn't even needed to be on the receiving end of his father's look, his sister's hopeful smile made his stomach tie itself in knots. It wasn't her fault she had a short attention span, just like it wasn't their mother's fault he had one too. He wouldn't really want either of them to change, even if it drove him crazy that everything they did defied logic.

"No, Bewwa, it's fine. We can... we can twade between games, so we can both pway the way we want to." He glanced at his mother, then his dad, unsure if he was supposed to apologize as well since Bella's feelings didn't seem particularly hurt. She was still smiling after all. "As wong as you don't tie me to a diwty sponge again."

"'Kay!" She made to suck on her thumb, diverted to poking at her mother's nose instead when she caught the look her father was giving her. "What if it's a clean sponge? Poit."

"No sponges unless the game is between you and mommy, Bella. As it is now, Cyan's going to need a bath."

"No baths!" Frantically and rather skillfully, the little girl managed to clamber her way over Pinky's shoulder and latch onto his back, hiding from her daddy.

Pinky looked over his shoulder at her. "Oh, what's wrong with baths, Jingle Bells? They're fun-fun silly-willy and full of bubbles and happiness!" Cyan rolled his eyes, but had to agree with his mom on some part of what he said. Baths were quite nice, they meant getting clean.

"But they get in the way of playtime!" she protested and put a finger to her lips. "Now shh, mommy! I'm hiding!"

Brain rolled his eyes. He knew once Cerebellum was placed in the water with her little arm floaties that she'd proceed to have the time of her life and not want to get out. It was just getting her in that was the difficult part. "Come, Pinky, it's bathtime. It looks like I'll be rescheduling my speech."

"Egad, Brain. You shouldn't have to if you can help it. I can give the twins their bath," Pinky assured him, clasping his hands together. He did love giving the baths with Brain, especially when he managed to sneakily get him in the water too, but the people of the world needed their leader! And they could have more baths later.

"Mummy, wast time you did it by youwself, we ended up covewed in toothpaste and stuck to the ceiwing," Cyan deadpanned.

Pinky crossed his arms. "Only that one time! Poit. And it was because I saw a spider." It had really been his shadow, but he'd thought it was a spider at the time.

"Be that as it may, Pinky, my speech can be pushed back an hour. A break will probably help me focus better on it anyway." Besides that, Brain adored bathtime. He looked at their son. "Am I carrying you or are you going to walk?"

"Cawwy." His independence varied from day to day, sometimes he wouldn't even let Pinky hold his hand and others, he'd have to be forcibly pried off one of his parents. As long as he had a say in whatever option was presented to him, then he didn't mind.

"Cyan..." Pinky folded his arms and tapped his foot, giving him a look.

His ear twitched. "Pwease."

"Much better! _Narf!_" Pinky clapped, praising him with a giddy smile.

Please was as important as goodnight as far as Pinky was concerned, so it was one thing Cyan had absolutely no choice in. But neither did Brain, so that generally made it easier for the boy to accept. Brain shifted his hold on their son, nuzzling behind his ear as he started to walk in the direction of the nearest bathroom. "And don't let Bella run away," he warned. "She clearly had to touch the sponge. She needs cleaned as well."

Pinky saluted, at attention. "You can count on me, Brain! Troz. Come here, Sara Bella," he crooned, tugging her back to his front and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She'd leapt off his back before and run off, inspiring one of the longest games of 'Chase Me' he'd ever played. She was quite fast when she wanted to be. "Bathtime! Rubber ducky, you're the one," he sang as he followed his husband.

"Mommy, mommy, can I be the rubber ducky?" The song had effectively distracted her from the desire to flee and she squirmed until she could bump their noses together over and over again in the way she wasn't supposed to with daddy. "I want to be the one! Oink oink!"

Brain bit back the smile, could all but feel his son rolling his eyes. "We'll have to work on her animal sounds during lessons tomorrow," he murmured, only for his ears.

"She won't wemembew-wemem... wecaww... ugh. Why do aww the wowds about memowy have 'awe' or 'ewel' in them?" he grumbled, crossing his arms. "Anyway, if mummy stiww doesn't know what the animaw sounds awe, wiww Bewwa?" Cyan made stretching motions with his jaw, lapping at the roof of his mouth to help his tongue. There really were too many 'r's and 'l's in all the words.

Brain couldn't resist nuzzling him. Cyan's dislike of his speech impediment led to him attempting the cutest of cures, though none had seemed to help any. That combined with the mysterious cockney he'd somehow inherited was even too much for Brain's genius mind to resist sighing over. "The difference between Pinky and Bella is that I have control over how Bella is taught. Pinky knows the animal sounds if he takes the time to think about them. Bella will too."

"Cluck, cluck, cluck! That's what ducks say, Bella!" Pinky chirped, stepping up to be side by side with Brain, rubbing his nose against his daughter's. Cyan just gave his dad a look that read: '...seriously?'

"I said with _thought_," Brain reiterated, displeased that his three-month old was attempting to wordlessly sass him. "Your mother isn't known for his excessive thought. Pinky, chickens cluck. Ducks make a different sound." Bella blinked big blue eyes at her daddy and squeaked. "That's a mouse," he reminded her and squeaked back. Pinky had already revealed the embarrassing fact that he'd overheard Brain baby-talking lots of times when the twins couldn't talk.

"Ohhhh! Brain!" Pinky couldn't resist cooing and flailing away with Bella to the bathroom. His husband was so adorable with their kids!

"Wait, mummy! We didn't teww you what sound a duck makes!" But it was hopeless, he probably wouldn't pay attention anyway. He was clearly lovesick. It was kind of gross. He wrinkled his nose. "We squeak aww the time, what's so speciaw about youws?"

Brain just blushed lightly, tapping a finger against his son's nose. "Before you came along, I never squeaked. We are genetically modified mice, and I am a genius. I have no need to make such instinctive sounds when I can communicate like a sane being. Babies, however, require such basic communication. Your sister in particular."

"I've heawd you squeak at mummy too. And he weally wikes it."

"Because it's so cute when your daddy squeaks! Poit!" Pinky poked his head out from around the bathroom door, Bella on his shoulders. "And don't even get me started on his growlies."

"Growly-growlies!" she cheered, throwing her hands in the air. But then she almost slipped, so latched onto Pinky's ears and giggled. She liked when her daddy squeaked, too. She understood those much better than his blahblah words. Her brother used blahblah words sometimes too, but his "w"s made them much nicer... if just as indecipherable.

Brain shook his head, striding into the bathroom passed them. "Your definition of the word 'cute' is skewed."

"Oh, no it's not, Brain! I don't want to barbecue it." Pinky shook his head and followed, holding onto Bella's ankles to keep her from falling.

"Mommy, poit, how do you barbecue a word?" Bella whispered, giving her mother's ear a tug. "Daddy and Cyan are awfully confused."

"That's skewered," father and son corrected in unison, one with a lisp. They looked at one another, wearing matching scowls, and shook their heads in tune with one another.

"Poit. See? They understand, Jingle Bells. Your daddy is a real smarty and so is Cy-Cy," Pinky giggled at the face Cyan made.

"Mummy, I towd you not to caww me that," he grumbled.

Pinky leaned over to kiss his forehead. "Oh, right. Sorry, my little alien-baby-not-alien."

"If Cyan was a alien, could he fly a UPS?" Bella tilted forward so she could peer directly into her mommy's eyes. He gave her answers that made sense.

"It's UFO, Cerebellum." Shaking his head, Brain helped Cyan get to his back, and climbed up the counter. There were mouse-sized fixtures and furniture in every room, but Brain and Pinky had each grown so accustomed to the climbing and the innovating that much of it was second nature. After... certain activities, however, it was always nice being able to use a miniature elevator instead of having to leap from high places.

Pinky nodded, getting Bella to be lower on his back so he could climb too. "Oh no, Bella. Cyan's too little to fly a UFO. A giant eyeball ship, I might consider though. _Zort._"

"And I'm not an awien, Bewwa." Cyan rolled his eyes. The thought was preposterous, and just a little insulting.

"Of course not, baby. Not a real alien, but you're my little baby-mouse-not-alien-alien," he cooed reassuringly, beaming at his son. "And I love-love-love you and Bella to pieces." That seemed to placate him for the time being.

"Pretty heart-shaped pieces," the little girl agreed, but gasped when she saw where they were. "No bathtime! Mommy, please? I don't want bathtime. I want playtime." She looked at him, hanging over his head again, and her eyes welled. She usually knew just how to get around her parents. For daddy, all either sibling had to do was start sniffling a little and he'd fall apart. Mommy took a little more cajoling sometimes, especially around bathtime.

This time it didn't work in her favor. Pinky simply smiled at her. "Oh, but you can have playtime and bathtime at the same time! It's fun-fun silly-willy to play with the little boats and ducks and bubbles and washcloths!" It seemed like a good deal to him. "And guess what? You have even more playtime after your bath! _Narf._ It's two for the price of seven!"

"That wouldn't be a vewy good bawgain." Cyan put in his two cents.

"Don't confuse your mother," Brain grumbled and set the boy down. There was an automatic dispenser of bubble bath that mixed perfectly with the water if he pushed a third handle. It was installed in all of the bathrooms throughout their castle. Bubble baths were simply easiest for them and enjoyable.

Bella only grew more distressed as the water started to pour from the faucet. "But mooooommy, I don't want to!" She rubbed their noses together, not falling by some sort of dumb luck she'd also managed to inherit from her mother. "Pleeeeease?"

"But Bellaaaaaaaa," Pinky whined back, plucking her off his head upside down. "Mummy and daddy want their babies to be clean and happy." He cradled her in one arm and used the other to tickle her tummy. "Now, where's your smile?"

Cyan watched them warily, relieved that he didn't have any issues with baths. He absolutely hated being tickled. Inching closer to his father, he kept one eye on his mother and sister.

Brain didn't have to look to know what was happening. Bella's squeals were immediate and joyful and he was just as wary as his son. He reached out, pulling him closer as another switch was pushed to close the sink's drain. "Let's put your flotation devices on and perhaps he won't notice that he's neglecting to tickle you."

"'Kay," Cyan easily agreed, for once in his life. He lifted his arms up so Brain could slide the water wings over them, glancing over his shoulder at his mom periodically, just to make sure he hadn't gotten any closer.

But Pinky had stopped to spin Bella around again and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Happy Bella!" he cheered, then set her down beside her brother to get her water wings on too.

She smiled brightly, tapping her brother's shoulder. Undaunted when he scooted away, she tapped her curved lips. "Look! Mommy helped me find my smile! _Narf_! Daddy! Do you see?"

"Yes, Bella." Brain reached out and stroked the curve of her ear, making her giggle even more.

Cyan took her hand in his. If he was holding it, then he knew where it was and to his paranoid little self, that was important. But it was also to keep his sister happy enough to get in the bath with him. To make it easier for their parents, of course. Not because the bath was lonely when it was just him. Not at all. He preferred being by himself! Always! He scrunched up his face as Pinky gave his cheek a kiss. Well, maybe not all by himself... all the time...

"Come on, Bewwa. We can pwactice swimming and pway Mawco Powo." It was ridiculous to play with only two people, but his sister loved the game for some reason beyond him. Probably because Pinky liked it and tried to play even when they weren't in the water.

Brain turned the water off when it was high enough. "Alright, children, in." He looked at Pinky's hopeful eyes and sighed. "Yes, Pinky, you too."

"Hoorah!" Pinky threw up his arms in the air, waiting until the twins had jumped into the water hand in hand before wrapping his arms around Brain and pulling him in alongside him. They would all have a bath!

"I didn't say me!" Brain managed when he surfaced. He splashed his husband, not bothering to correct Bella when she mimicked him and splashed her brother. In her typical bathtime state, the moment she'd hit the bubbly water, her entire attitude changed. Bathtime was funtime and now that mommy and daddy were with them, it was even better!

Cyan sputtered when he was splashed, pouting and splashing her back while Pinky just giggled. He gave his husband a quick kiss and rubbed their noses together before joining in and splashing him too. "But it's more funner with you, love."

"Funnew isn't a wowd, mummy. It's just 'mowe fun'." Cyan corrected.

Brain let the correction slide, knowing that Cyan would figure out one day that choosing one's battles was very wise when it came to Pinky. And, it seemed, to Bella. He went with the more pressing correction, wiping sudsy water from his face. "Pinky, don't splash me and I'll stay."

"'Kay." That seemed fair enough. Pinky gave him another kiss, then ducked under the water, their son watching suspiciously. His tail popped out of the water and moved through the suds as he swam around, poking both twins and coiling around them.

Bella giggled, trying to catch his tail and failing. "Fishy fishy mommy!" she sing-songed and Brain only shook his head, watching Cyan grow more wary as Bella grew more delighted. His babies. They were devilish little things in their own unique ways, but they were adorable and his. Just like their mother.

Without coming up for a breath, he swam one more circle around them before returning to Brain, flicking his tail by his ear before finally popping up with a laugh. "I was a shark!" He grinned, baring his teeth at the kids. "Be careful or sharks can come and gobble you up."

Cyan's ears went flat and he shook his head. "No."

"Oh, yes they do. Sharks gobble all the time. Poit."

He shook his head again. "No."

"Fishy sharky mommy," Bella sing-songed, throwing her arms around her grumpy brother. "I want to be a fishy-sharky too, but I won't gobble you," she promised.

The Brain's eyes rolled and he sent Cyan a look that said quite a bit about his views on him arguing with his mother.

The little boy just frowned more, not quite glaring at his father. "No!"

"Of course you can be a fishy sharky, baby Bella. You can go get daddy." Pinky swam over to the twins, chomping his teeth, but paused when Cyan pushed away from his sister and moved back. "Cyan, don't be scared. I'm not a real shark, I'm only playing."

"I don't want to pway that game. And I'm not scawed." He sulked, moving away from him just in case he tried anything. But Pinky wouldn't, not if he honestly didn't want to. The taller mouse stood up straight and held his hands up, backing away to be next to Brain again before sitting amid the bubbles.

Would there always be some sort of squabble to mediate? Brain gave his husband a hug, rubbing their noses together. "Don't be sad, Pinky."

"I'm not... troz," he mumbled, offering up a half-smile. How could he be sad when he had such a lovely family? He just felt a little bad for pushing his son away, it was always careful ground he needed to tread on with Cyan, and he wasn't always so careful about it. Part of him wondered if it was because Cyan knew Pinky had thought he was an evil alien and hadn't wanted him, though Brain assured him several times that it wasn't the case.

Just like with his sister, his mother had an uncanny way of making him feel guilty. Sighing, Cyan paddled over to them, latching onto Pinky with a grumbly squeak to which he was rewarded with an enthusiastic hug and nuzzling.

Brain rubbed his son's back before making his way to the flailing Bella. She had yet to quite master swimming with the floaties, was far too content with the little waves she made when she flailed. But she giggled, reaching out for her daddy when he came close and swept her up. He disguised his cleaning of her as fond strokes, smiling slightly as she got more sudsy. But he kept half of his attention tuned to his husband and son. It was getting to the point where the two of them were going to have to have a your-mother-is-special talk.

"Naaaaaaarf," Pinky hummed as he cleaned their son, the boy more than happy to accept the washing. He hadn't meant to hurt his mother's feelings, though it was a relief to know that his feelings never stayed hurt for long. It was probably thanks to that short attention span, both a blessing and a curse.

Cyan craned his head back to look up at him. "I wove you, mummy."

"Oh, mummy loves you too." Pinky pressed a kiss to the top of his head and spun him around, beaming over the top of his head at his husband.

Brain gave a small smile in return. He wasn't looking forward to having to talk with Cyan, but he needed to. A squeak distracted him and he looked down, the only thing really discernible were those blue eyes. He'd be glad when she grew into them and they didn't seem quite so big. It was difficult to resist them with Pinky; it was impossible when it was Bella now. She squeaked again and it registered what she was saying and his heart filled. She understood just as well as Pinky that the words were difficult to say. He lowered his head and pressed their brows together, and squeaked an "I love you" right back.

Pinky twirled Cyan right over to Brain and Bella, so he could hug all of his beautiful family. He squeaked for all of them, then giggled as their son rolled his eyes and grumpily squeaked as well. They could all understand each other this way, and it was the cutest way to communicate, in Pinky's personal opinion, though he knew his husband mirrored the sentiment. He rubbed his cheek against the side of Brain's head and smiled at their twins, receiving two in return, even if one wasn't nearly as bright as the other.

Sighing quietly, Brain pressed against his husband. They were lucky. No more scientists, a big castle for them to share, and they were together and healthy. Their little runt was growing up properly even though he was a scowly little argumentative thing. They were truly lucky. He let out a soft squeak, letting his family know he loved them, and let a small, warm smile curve his lips when Bella twirled in the water and repeated his sentiment.

"Hoorah!" Pinky whooped, spinning them all together, kissing the warm smile on his husband's lips to see if it tasted as sweet as it looked. He heard a soft 'ew' from his son, so poked him with his tail to get him to behave.

Brain blushed, Cyan's little vocalization only making it worse. Bella began to clap and giggle, clearly approving of her parents' affections. "Not when they're this close, Pinky..."

"Daddy, don't be all reddy-red!" Bella clasped her hands together, pressing them against her cheek. "Mommy daddy love is so cute."

"Get a woom," Cyan muttered, rolling his eyes at his sister's fawning. Sissy stuff.

Pinky laughed softly. "Oh, Brain, it was just one kiss." Well, it had been until he couldn't resist kissing him again. And he had Bella's approval. That meant majority rules in his favor!

"That's more than one," he grumbled against Pinky's lips, drawing back. He certainly didn't mind kisses when they were alone, but Bella's approval was just as mortifying as Cyan's disapproval. Particularly since when he glanced at his son, the boy's gaze was averted and his cheeks were pink. Absolutely mortifying.

"Oh, alright. Poit. But you gotta promise me more later." Pinky nodded firmly, rubbing their noses together before pulling away. Hopefully in his office. He simply adored that room, every inch smelled like his husband and it was filled with all sorts of powerful, in charge things that reminded him of how happy his chubby hubby was.

"Later," Brain agreed. After the twins were put to bed. They were nearly old enough to move out of their cribs and into bigger beds, which continually gave Brain pause. His babies were getting older and that really wasn't fair.

"Aww. No more mommy daddy love?" Bella pouted, looking between them, and squealed with delight when Brain flicked water at her.

"Mummy and daddy always love each other, sweetie." Pinky swept her up and twirled her around. "Forever and ever and ever and ever!" Cyan carefully avoided getting caught up in the spinning, instead choosing to cuddle up against his dad and watch from a safe distance.

Brain tucked an arm around his son, leaning down to press a small kiss to the top of his head. "We need to talk in my study after the bath," he murmured. "We'll send Bella and Pinky off to the playroom."

"What did I do?" Cyan blinked up at Brain. "I said sowwy to mummy in squeaks."

"You're not in trouble, but I just need to explain something to you. It's only that you've already developed faster than I expected you to." Faster than his sister and further than his mother. "Don't fret."

"I'm not fwetting," he told him, even as he squashed the worry he'd been feeling. "I was miodwy concewned."

Mildly concerned, Brain silently repeated, giving his son's ear a fond tweak. His smart baby boy. He leaned down and rubbed his nose over his son's brow, pleased when his ears fell. His reactions to certain things were predictable even now. Pavlov would've had a field day with his son. "Well, there's no need for being mildly concerned, either. I merely wish to impart some information."

"What if the information doesn't want to go anywhere?" Pinky asked as he spun back over to them, Bella in his arms. "That's rather rude, making it part. Poit."

"It won't be going anywhere, Pinky. It's being shared," he placated, knowing how important that was to his husband. He reached out for his daughter and deposited her back into the water to rinse the soap from her that hadn't just flown off from Pinky's spinning.

"Sharing is caring!" she exclaimed, smacking the water and splashing her brother in the process. "_Narf_!"

Pinky nodded with approval. "_Narf! _ That it is, Jingle Bells!" He reached out and ruffled his son's fur, the boy already scrubbing at his face from where he'd been splashed. "It's also what you do to sheep when it gets too hot and you want to make sweaters."

"Sheawing." Cyan corrected.

"That's what I said. Sharing!" Pinky giggled, scooping up Cyan to spin him around in place. The pink-eyed boy just sighed and let it go. "Oh, both my babies are so smart!"

Brain just shook his head, smiling at his daughter when she gave him a tight hug. It wasn't too tight considering her age, but he'd have to teach her to hug carefully when it came to her brother. For now, he hugged her back and kissed the back of her ear. "Nice and clean."

"Squeaky clean," she clarified, giving him an expectant look.

Her father sighed, knowing the routine well no matter how embarrassing. So he kept his little squeak quiet and right in her ear, which delighted her. If it was just for her, it was special! And it never crossed her mind that it was only because her daddy was embarrassed. Her answering squeaks, as a result, were far louder.

Cyan released his own grumbly squeak in response to his sister's, more instinctive than anything, and was on the receiving end of a few loving licks to the back of his ear. His grumbles became purrs as his mother groomed him, too content to even complain that he was in the bath so he was already clean. Pinky beamed at him, then set him down to let him float in the water, then swam very rapidly in a circle around him.

"Whirly wind, whirly wind," he sing-songed, making a mini-not-quite-whirlpool. Cyan just slowly spun around, rolling his eyes.

"Me too, me too!" Bella squealed, applauding her mother's trick. Brain settled her down beside her brother and moved away so Pinky could swim around both of them, folding his arms across his chest when their little girl latched onto Cyan's hand. "Whirly wind!" she echoed. "_Zort_."

"_Narf!_" Pinky started again, making circles around them as Cyan bobbed over to be in front of Bella, taking her other hand in his. It made spinning easier this way, it was logical. Not that he particularly enjoyed spinning, but he knew his sister liked it, so might as well make the most of it for her. That was it. "Whirly wind!" Pinky cheered.

Bella giggled and, since she couldn't wave at her daddy since both hands were trapped, she lifted her tail out of the water and wiggled it excitedly. She was a much better tail-wagger than her brother, but she loved his crookedy tail as much as she loved her daddy's anyway. They were all bendy and fun!

Brain smiled and waved back, his heart swelling at the barely-concealed delight in his son's eyes and the bright obvious delight in his daughter's. They were their mother's children when it came to spinning, no matter how much Cyan tried to deny it. "Don't make them too dizzy, Pinky."

"Dizzy, dizzy, dizzy!" the girl sing-songed.

"I don't get dizzy," the boy denied.

But Pinky slowed his pace, swimming in lazy circles around them until the twins were gently turning in the water. He'd never forget when Cyan was really little, he'd spun him so much he'd gotten sick. He hadn't meant to, Cy had seemed to be having a wonderful time actually squeaking out laughs. Until the sick part. It hadn't happened since, he'd been far too upset and worried to try anything like that again, but he heeded Brain's warnings of dizziness much better now. Bella had yet to get sick, so he supposed her tolerance for spinning matched his own.

He only didn't get dizzy because Brain made sure Pinky didn't bring him to that point, but his father didn't argue. He remembered the throwing up and Pinky's subsequent panic attack, claiming that he'd broken the baby all too well. Brain had suffered his own little panic attack, though he'd managed to hide it from his husband. "Your sister might get dizzy," he placated.

Bella wasn't paying attention, trying to keep her eyes on her mommy the entire time, head craning to see him until she couldn't anymore and then turning to try and find him again. "Whirly-twirly-whirly," she cooed.

"Swirly," Pinky added, coming up right beside her and bumping his nose to hers.

Cyan blinked, glancing around, he was sure Pinky had been on the other side just a moment ago... oh well. "Bewwa doesn't get dizzy eithew. She's just wike mummy." Though they'd pretty much stopped spinning by this point, so he decided to let it go. It was just hard to fight the urge to be as difficult as possible.

"Whirly twirly whirly swirly mommy!" Bella bumped their noses again, giggling. "I win! Do I win?" She looked at her brother, tail wagging and splashing. "I win. Poit."

"We'we not pwaying a game you can win at, Bewwa," Cyan informed her, giving her a look that reminded their mother very much of their father, one brow raised and everything.

Bella scrunched her nose. "Yes," she agreed. "I still win." She looked back at Pinky, rubbing her nose against his cheek. "Can I still win, mommy? It's my turn."

"Nuh-uh. It's not a winning game," Cyan protested, turning his look on his mother as if daring him to say otherwise. "It's not, mummy."

One of Pinky's ears fell flat and he glanced between the two. It was adorable when Cyan made that face, but awfully hard to go against it. And it was adorable when Bella nuzzled him, he couldn't go against that either. "Poit. Who says there can't be a winner?"

"It doesn't make sense." It was his turn to scrunch up his nose. "Bewwa's just being weiwed again."

Bella's ears fell and she turned her wide eyes on her daddy. "Daddy, how come I can't win?" He normally understood Cyan better than mommy did.

He sighed heavily, paddling over. He swept up Cyan, nuzzling him and whispering into his ear. "This is one of those moments where it's far better not to argue. If she so much as sniffles, you're staying in my study until bedtime."

Cyan glared at him, whispering back, "How come she _awways_ wins?" Even when she was wrong she got to be right. She never had to stay in daddy's study until bedtime. Well, maybe not never... but still not nearly as often.

His ear twitched as he heard Pinky coo to his sister, "Of course you can win, sweetie! _Narf! _ There's always winners!"

Brain's eyes rolled at his husband, but he didn't correct him. Keeping his voice low, he spoke to their son. "Because she makes things up and decides silly, nonsensical things. Comfort yourself with the knowledge that there is nothing to win but the avoidance of her tears. Which in actuality makes you the winner."

His ears dropped. He did hate when his sister cried... because it was annoying, not because it made him feel bad or anything. "Is that why you awways wet mummy win, too?"

"Yes. Tears are hardly worth a useless argument." This was really only driving home that he needed to explain the special nature of his mother and sister to the boy. It almost made him wish Cyan had ended up just a titch more like Pinky, but not quite. He loved his son entirely too much to want to alter him. He pressed a kiss to the base of one of his dropped ears.

"Mommy, twirly whirly!" Bella suddenly squealed, bouncing against Pinky and trying to climb up so he'd spin her. Him telling her she could win had been enough for her to move on. Next time, Cy could win.

Cyan sighed and nuzzled his daddy while listening to Pinky give into his daughter's wishes with a delighted squeak, the taller mouse gladly twirling her. The little boy bit back the retort of how that didn't always stop him, because he wasn't dumb and had seen his mother in tears on account of their father a few times, but he always fixed it in the end. His daddy could fix anything, it seemed. "Okay, she can win... but just this once."

"Winning, spinning, thinning, pinning," Pinky chanted, lifted Bella out of the water above his head. "_Zort!_" He adored his little girl's squeals and how he could bring her happiness in the ways he knew best. She was a joy to play with, her laughter like a song. "Jingle Bells!"

"How gracious of you," Brain grumbled, eyes on the other half of his little family.

Bella was reaching out towards Pinky, giggling happily as she stared into the eyes that matched her own. "_Zort_!" she repeated, unable to wag her tail while she was being spun. She curled it around her mommy's wrist instead.

"I know what sawcasm is, daddy." Cyan folded his arms across his chest, raising one brow.

Pinky laughed along with his daughter, bringing her in for a tight embrace and nuzzle. "Love, love, love you, Sara Bella." She certainly had a way with words, knowing just when 'zort' was applicable. Oh, she was darling. He kissed her forehead, smooth and round like Brain's, then bumped their noses together.

Bella bumped their noses repetitively, rubbing on every other meeting. "I love my mommy mommy mommy, _narf_. Happy happy lovey love!"

She was so completely her mother's daughter. Brain lifted their son out of the water, deeming bathtime to be over since his babies were clean, and set him on the counter. And their son was so often like him that it was baffling that he could be such a brat. Surely The Brain wasn't so bratty, so where on earth had that come from? He pulled himself out of the water, leaving mother and daughter be for the time being while he removed Cyan's little water wings. "Don't be difficult."

"Not twying to be," he told him, only slightly grumbly as he shook a bit of the water from his fur. It wasn't very fair that his dad got to be as difficult and grumpy-growly as he wanted and no one told him to stop it.

"Happy love! Everywhere!" Pinky sang, dancing Bella over to the edge of the sink to set her next to her brother. "_Narf!_"

"Aww! I don't want bathtime to be all done," she protested, getting on all fours and shaking the water from her fur. She gave a startled squeak when a mouse-sized towel was dropped on her head.

Brain just rolled his eyes. She was too much like Pinky in some aspects, he mused quietly, and settled another towel around their son to get him dried off. "Bathtime is over because you're clean, Cerebellum."

"Squeaky clean, remember?" Pinky giggled, climbing out of the sink to join them. He plopped down behind her, still sopping wet, and began to dry her with the towel.

She let out a squeaky little nonsense song, giggling through it while she was dried. She would've preferred rolling around on the towel, but letting her mother dry her was just as good. Brain finished with his son, trying to straighten out the messy tuft of fur atop his head. As usual, it was to no avail, but he didn't mind the excuse to pet.

Cyan's ears fell back, but he let his daddy attempt to fix his fur without complaint, only to scrub at the top of his head once he was done. He brushed off his fur, making sure he wasn't too poofy after being dried, like Bella was bound to be from Pinky's enthusiastic drying. But after giggling at his puffball of a daughter, he smoothed her fur down with licks and petting.

Their children successfully dried, Brain laid down a human hand towel and gestured to it before grabbing another one to dry himself off. "Go ahead, Pinky."

Bella's hand shot into the air. "Me too!"

"No. You're already dry, Bella." Brain plucked her up to distract her.

Pinky cheered and leapt onto the towel, squirming and wiggling to get dry. Cyan arched an eyebrow, baffled as to why his mother took such pleasure in behaving like a dog, but just chalked it up to another Pinky mystery. It got him dry, but it wasn't very time efficient.

Brain scooped up his son as well, shaking his head at his husband's familiar antics. Bella squeaked at her brother, her long tail wrapping around his bendy one. "Come, Pinky. You and Cerebellum can play games in the playroom while I speak with Cyan."

"Games! Oh, I love games!" Pinky leapt up to join them, reaching out to take Sara Bella, but not before Cyan wrapped his tail around hers in return to give it a squeeze. He wasn't in trouble, but it was still a little concerning that he was going to be talked to alone. Without his mummy or his sister. He blinked up at Pinky as he nuzzled Bella, then smiled back down at his son. "Poit. What are you gonna talk about, Brain?" He shifted his gaze to his hubby, his adorably chubby hubby.

"Secret father-son things." Brain pressed his nose against his husband's, rubbing fondly.

"Ooh. And then Cyan can play too?" Bella loved playing games with her mommy and her brother 'cause he'd sometimes get so annoyed that daddy would have to play too!

"Yes, Bella. If he wants to." Though Brain would rather not get dragged into one of their inane games himself when Cyan inevitably couldn't take the nonsensical rules. Not when he had a speech to finish.

Cyan sighed and nodded. "Yeah, Bewwa, I'ww pway aftew." His face scrunched up a little as Pinky placed a kiss to the tip of his nose. He wondered why his mother couldn't know what was going on, and could tell the taller mouse thought the same for a split second before breaking into a bright grin and placing Bella on his shoulders.

"'Kay! Have fun, you two!" Pinky chirped, carrying his daughter towards the edge of the sink. "Want to help me rebuild my house of cards, Jingle Bells? Or we can play hot lava monster or mermaids or dress up! Oh, so many fun-fun silly-willy things to do!"

"Dress up like mermaids and hot lava monsters that build houses for cards!" she decided.

"You're fretting again, Cyan." Brain carted his son towards the elevator rather than risk climbing down. He'd slipped once while holding a child and it had given him a mild heart attack. He hadn't fallen entirely, thankfully, but a slip was enough that he didn't want to risk following down his still slightly-damp husband.

He scowled, shaking his head vehemently. He was not fretting. Fretting was what his mummy did, running around and twisting his tail or tugging on his ears and crying. Cyan was most certainly not doing any of that. His tail flicked as if to confirm that. "Mummy wants to know what the secwet is too, that's aww." Pinky never seemed to mind when he was used as an excuse, sometimes even stepped up to be one if the situation called for it, so he let it sit at that.

Brain pressed a small kiss to his brow, amused by the excuse and well-aware that he'd use it himself. But he doubted his son understood why Pinky was such a available one. "Yes, I know he does. I'll explain it to him after bedtime, Cyan, and then he'll understand. He's the secret, he and your sister."

Confusion shone in the pink eyes that matched their father's and he frowned. "What?" How were his mother and sister a secret? What did that mean? "Ewabowate, pwease."

'Ewabowate' was now Brain's second favorite pronunciation of his son's. Nothing could top 'wove,' but that was close. He nuzzled him fondly. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that they're very different from you and I. I know it bothers you because you're difficult about it."

"Because they don't do things wight," he attempted to defend himself, his ears lowering. "They don't make sense and they mess things up on puwpose." It was the only explanation as to why it kept happening. They probably thought it was cute or something when he got all grumpy.

Brain adjusted his hold, keeping his son up so he could look directly into his eyes. "No. Pinky has never and will never do anything to upset someone on purpose. Bella's just like him, Cyan. Their minds simply don't work that way." He whapped the little down arrow with his tail and the elevator started lowering them.

"How do they wowk then?" Cyan asked, holding Brain's gaze easily. It was important to know, because they certainly didn't work like his daddy's or his. "And why awe they diffewent?"

"I have no idea why they're different. They simply are, Cyan. Though I suspect it has something to do with him being from a petshop." Brain bounced him a bit, used to holding Bella, and stepped out of the elevator when it stopped. "They're notorious for poor breeding practices."

He couldn't help but make a face at the word 'breeding'. It was what mushy parents did. And that made him think about how mushy his parents could be. Ick. "So why is this so impowtant to teww me? Am I supposed to tweat them speciaw now?"

"Not exactly. You just have to be more aware. I don't bop your mother for everything he does. You can't lash out at your sister for everything she does. All they really know, Cyan, is how to love someone and they put their absolute all into it." He frowned slightly, touching his nose to his son's. "Once you fully grasp that every single thing they do is to try and make you happy, it can be a bit terrifying."

Cyan's expression smoothed out, his frown fading as he processed this. When his brow wasn't furrowed and his eyes weren't narrowed, they were just as big as his sister's. The shape of their mother's. The pair of them seemed to have inherited quite a lot of their parents' traits, both physical and personality-wise, which would explain why Bella was like Pinky and why he favored Brain, but some things still crossed over, like their appearances, his perplexing accent, and his inexplicable enjoyment of the exercise wheel. He could accept those things because of genes, well not the last one, he was determined to figure that out and stop it, so it was just more genes that made Pinky and Bella the way they were.

"So, they got big heawts and we got big bwains so we aww have to compwomise?" he clarified, blinking at his father.

"Well, you and I have to compromise more than they do. They don't have the sense to even spell compromise, let alone act upon it." Brain traced a finger along the curve of his son's ear, just studying him for a minute. It still hit him sometimes that this little thing almost hadn't made it and it squeezed his heart painfully. He would've been heartbroken to lose a baby, even though he hadn't even been aware of his existence before retrieving him. His wonderful, grumpy little boy.

"I know it can be a tad overwhelming at times; there is a reason why Pinky has his playroom separate from my office. So when Bella overwhelms you with her extreme lack of logic, deposit her with her mother and come and find me. I'll always make time for you when you need it, Cyan." He touched their noses together again and geared himself up. His son needed the words in the way his sister and mother didn't since they just had that ability to understand. "I love you."

Cyan gave him a hug, his bent tail swishing thrice. "I wove you too, daddy." As he nuzzled him, the little mouse wondered who got the better deal. Even if it came without sense, part of him figured that having a big heart was just a little nicer. Though that wasn't very fair for his dad, he knew he loved a lot too, just quietly and... well, love probably wasn't supposed to make sense, because he couldn't see any sense in how his parents ended up together. Both had incredible amounts of tolerance, that was all he could chalk it up to.

Squirming a little, he pulled back to face his father. "Can I go pway with Bewwa and mummy now?"

"Yes, you may." Brain settled his son down in front of the playroom, pushing the door open.

"The jack o'lantern's gonna eat all my applesauce! _Troz_!"

Lifting a brow at his daughter's exclamation, he looked down at his son. "Good luck."

"Citizen! Look out!"

Before Cyan could say anything to his dad, he watched him get tackled by a blur of purple and white. Ah, so it was the Adventures of Super Mouse again. And Mini Mouseketeer. Maybe they'd let him him play the villain again, at least this game allowed for some sense as long as he could make up his own bad guy rules. Though Pinky never failed to bring in something absurd like a giant yogurt-eating caterpillar that could weave flutes out of weasel fur that magically defeated him with its chewing gum powers.

He smirked slightly as Pinky, donned in cape and mask, held tightly to Brain, releasing him only to crouch protectively over him and make growly sounds. He made for a very not threatening crime fighter. "Get back you mean ol' jack o'lantern, you! There's no applesauce here! Only justice!"

"So I see you've met my eviw pet pumpkin." Cyan rolled his eyes, it was not the dumbest thing he'd had to be evil with and glanced back at Bella as he folded his arms behind his back.

Super Mouse gasped, still staying close to Brain. "I should have known it was you, Evil Dr. W!" Cyan's ears twitched at the name. He had not been the one to come up with that and rather detested it.

"Evil Dr. W!" Mini Mouseketeer squealed, making flappy sounds with her bright yellow cape as she scampered over. "How could you? How will the crickets and cheese-whiz people survive without their applesauce?"

"That's not my pwobwem. I'm eviw," he deadpanned. "I wequiwe the wowd's appowsauce fow my pwan to..." He wracked his brain quickly for some kind of evil scheme involving fruit. "To gathew an awmy of fwuit bats to attack evewyone."

Brain managed to get to his feet despite Super Mouse's proximity and gave the masked vigilante a fond pat on the shoulder. Usually when he was roped into this particular game, he somehow ended up being the helpless damsel in distress. Too bad for Super Mouse, he always nudged him away and said he was married before the "big kiss" at the end. "If you happen to cross paths with my husband at any point, Super Mouse, tell him that he'll get something special later if he behaves himself and keeps our daughter safe from the evil doctor. I have a speech to finish."

"Right, citizen. I will relay your message." Pinky saluted him, a serious expression on his face that he rarely wore outside of this game. "Go and take cover now, citizen, there is danger about! As for you," he spun around and pointed a finger at his son. "You should be ashamed of yourself! Using those poor fruit bats for your nefarious purposes!"

"Oh, I would be if I had a mowal compass." Cyan assured him.

Mini Mouseketeer waved happily at Brain. "Bye, citizen!" Brain resisted the urge to smile and just waved back before leaving, and the girl bounced to Super Mouse's side. "What should we do with him, Super Mouse?"

"What every good superhero does with criminals, Mini Mouseketeer!" Super Mouse raised a finger to the air in a triumphant pose. "Lock them away in jail and throw away the key!"

"You won't be abow to." Cyan folded his arms across his chest.

"And why's that? Poit."

"You'ww nevew catch me." And this was one of the reasons Cyan was grateful that he had a strange love-hate relationship with the exercise wheel; it made him fast. "Jack o'wantewn, get them."

Bella squeaked in honest terror when the jack o'lantern, which was actually just a small orange bouncy ball, rolled in their direction. But then she remembered that she was a brave sidekick. "I'll take care of this, Super Mouse! _Zort_. You go and catch the bad guy! Protect the innocent little fruit bats from his, um... tyranny!"

"Good luck, Mini Mouseketeer. Keep the crickets and the cheese-whiz people safe." He saluted her, waited for her to salute back, then scampered off after the evil doctor to put a stop to his treacherous ways.

-8-8-

When Brain resurfaced from his work, his speech finished, he looked about and realized that it had been quite a while and no one had bothered him. Not even Cyan. Mildly worried, he climbed down from his desk and made his way to the door that connected his study to the playroom. There weren't any sounds within, so his mild worry heightened a bit as he made his way inside and began looking around for his family.

His worry melted into simple affection when he located them, piled together on the floor. Bella's position, draped over a popsicle-stick person, suggested that she'd been the first to go down. And then Cyan most likely, Pinky settling to guard his sidekick from the evil doctor and falling asleep himself. Idiot.

He walked over, carefully lifting his daughter from the popsicle stick and began untying her bright yellow cape. Mini Mouseketeer, indeed.

When the door had first opened, Pinky's nose had twitched, the change in scent luring him into wakefulness. His ears perked up as he heard the rustling of cloth, so lifted his head to blink sleepily at who he knew to be his husband. His mask slipped off his face, loose from excessive playing, and he smiled at him. Squeaking out a yawn, he shrugged off his cape and stretched along the floor like a cat and shook his head from sleep.

It was then that he noticed the yellow cape and his daughter that lay under it. "Egad!" he gasped softly, still wary of waking his children. "Mini Mouseketeer is Sara Bella! Poit. I never would've guessed." He looked over at Cyan, he knew his son was only pretending to be a villain since he never wore a costume, but he'd had no idea that his daughter had joined the crime fighting scene.

The sad thing was, Brain knew very well that he meant it. His husband would never have known. "Hush, Pinky, you don't want someone overhearing her secret identity." Or, worse, wake up Cyan. He still had issues with bedtime, as if he feared that he was going to miss out on something important unless he stayed up all hours. He folded his daughter's cape and mask carefully before setting them aside and rising, holding her close. She just made a sleepy little squeak and curled her fingers into his chest, still fast asleep.

"Oh, right." Secret identities were very important. It was why he hadn't yet kissed Brain in costume, just in case the wrong person found out and captured his husband to bait him. Now he had to be extra careful with his daughter in on it, right in the middle of all the action. Pinky got to his feet, then knelt by Cyan and gently wrapped him up in his arms. He kissed his forehead, the boy's ears reacting even in sleep. He giggled-hummed and went to stand beside Brain, pressing his lips to the base of his ear. "So, Super Mouse tells me you have a little special something for me."

He smiled slightly, giving him a half-lidded look that was generally reserved for when they were alone. "I might. However, we should put our children to bed first."

"I'm not stupid, Brain. I figured that was a given. Troz." Pinky took a page out of Cyan's book and rolled his eyes before laughing quietly and nuzzling his son as he carried him towards the door. Purposely wiggling his rear on his way, tail swishing provocatively in response to the half-lidded look.

Shaking his head, pressing a kiss to Cerebellum's twitchy ear, Brain followed his husband. When he was close enough, he managed to swing his tail around with a concentrated effort and brush it against Pinky's. It was a quiet signal he knew the taller mouse understood. Brain rather liked it when their tails entwined, though his own lacked the dexterity required to do it.

Pinky's tail wound around each bend and he beamed down at his husband. It was almost like holding hands, but better because they could hold their children too. Their perfect little family. "I love us," Pinky whispered, bumping their noses together with a secretive little smile.

Brain pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, going into the children's room with him. These four rooms - study, playroom, and two bedrooms - were very close together as they were the most used. There were plenty of other rooms in their castle, but the children weren't allowed to go there on their own and with world domination still such a recent thing, Brain hadn't had much time to wander through them all himself. Pinky wasn't supposed to go without permission either.

But it was still vastly different from their cage, spacious and perfect for the little family. Even Roman and Bunny had an entire wing if they wanted it. "As do I, my dear." His tail gave a little happy twitch.

"_Narf._" Pinky laid Cyan down in his bed, tail caressing Brain's as he tucked in their grumpy-growly son who looked very sweet and adorable in sleep. Not that he didn't look adorable all grumpy-growly-scowly either. He was very much his father's son. Pinky rubbed his nose along Cyan's brow and whispered, "goodnight," then turned his attention to their Sara Bella.

Brain had already settled their daughter in her bed, giving her a small nuzzle and wishing her a goodnight. So precious, just like her mother. He reached up for his husband as they traded places, brushing his fingers over his cheek. So precious. He rubbed his nose gently against Cyan's brow, murmuring a goodnight to him as well. He was just as precious, despite his difficulties. The poor boy just wanted answers where there simply were none sometimes. He'd figure it out eventually, but Brain was enjoying watching him fail now. It was sweet.

Pinky kissed his baby Bella's cheek, his little sidekick, and wished her a goodnight just for her. He sighed happily and leaned against his husband, his tail trying to wag despite being caught up in Brain's. His fingers also sought out those of his partner, twining them together. "Mummy and daddy love you," he told both beds affectionately. "_Narf._"

Brain lifted Pinky's hand to his lips, pressing a warm kiss to the back of it. What he'd told his son earlier was very true: everything this mouse did was out of love. And The Brain felt the need to give some of that love back, and it was going to be special. "Come along, my dear. Our turn for bed."

"'Kay." Pinky didn't need any further convincing, more than willing to follow his husband and the father of his children to the ends of the earth and back, though the bed would do quite nicely. "What are we gonna do tonight, Brain?"

There was a small part of him that rather missed his "try to take over the world" response, but ruling the world was as much a challenge to his intellect as the attempts to conquer it had been. It was wonderful, as were the nights now that there was nothing to do but spend them curled up with his wonderfully big-hearted husband. "Oh, the same thing we do every night, Pinky." After closing the door behind them, he lifted to his toes and pressed their lips together. "But I think you're going to like just how I want to do it."

* * *

The End!

Egad, I just adore the twins. They're a sweet, little family. So, Bella and Cyan exist! They'll pop up again later on, but this universe is pretty much done. StarShineDC and I have placed them in our OC-verse which is now going to have more stories getting published and whatnot. So be on the lookout for more of our collabs! And thank you everyone who stuck with this fic and enjoyed it! We had so much fun writing it, we can only hope that you had just as much fun reading!


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